To the Stars and Back
by riverofmemories
Summary: Tagging along in the TARDIS after being rescued from a situation she was sold into, Jayden O'Connors finds that there's much more to life than expected. When the Doctor's involved, it's full of adventure, other worlds, saving lives, and quite a bit of running. But the clock is ticking, and even a Time Lord from Gallifrey can't help her run forever.
1. Nightmare from Hell

She couldn't precisely say how long she'd been there. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, _years_ … Well, she could go on. It didn't matter. She wasn't entirely sure on how long she'd been there. It had been long enough that that she was sure that her family - if they even searched for her - had presumed her dead.

 _No_ , she told herself for what seemed like the millionth time, _they searched. They searched for me. Just not because they wanted me back._

No, the O'Connors family would have searched for her simply because she'd been a valuable pawn that could be sold off to the second-wealthiest family on Earth in order for them to expand their empire. And when they'd realized that their daughter, Jayden, was long gone, they'd likely thrown a temper, complaining about the fact that they wouldn't be able to continue with their plans, which had been made from her birth.

With a scowl, Jay tightened her arms around her knees. She'd tucked her knees to her chest to make herself smaller, her greasy blonde hair falling into exhausted blue eyes as she waited to see what would happen. They had no idea. _No. Idea._ No clue that the man they'd been setting her up with for marriage had been the one to drug her and sell her alongside a few other men and women to some kind of crazed alien that scared the daylights out of her.

Jay wasn't prejudiced against aliens. The first encounter had only happened when she was fifteen, nearly five years ago. She'd not really grown up with them, but she'd certainly been exposed since they'd shown up, and she even had a deep fondness for a few aliens who'd she'd spoken to during one of her father's many parties. If there was one good thing about Mark O'Connors, it was the fact that he'd seen the goodness in doing business with those who weren't originally from Earth, and had made sure to include them in his work.

So...no, Jay wasn't prejudiced. She was quite friendly with several aliens.

But this alien...heavens above, it was like the aliens from movies of years and years ago, when they'd invaded the planet and killed everyone. Maybe even worse. It was a nightmare that had come to life. It was a monster from the worst nightmares she could barely remember, like the monster she'd thought existed beneath her bed despite her parents snarled comments that there wasn't one. With multiple joints in each limb, over-sized arms, no features on its face outside of a mouth, and slimy black flesh…

She wasn't sure what it had done with the two other girls in her cell, but she was sure that blood she sometimes saw in those ridiculously oversized teeth had to do with their disappearance.

Jay bit her lip, flinching. She'd done that so much the skin had long since split and bled and bruised. She swiped her grimy hand over the injury, trying to avoid thinking of how much dirt she was depositing into the wound. If she didn't have an infection yet, then she wasn't getting one.

Jay rested her head back against the stone wall behind her, exhausted. She was a mess, covered in dirt and grime, clothed in what was left of a formal blue dress that had cloaked her body for the party she'd been taken from. _"Can I have a word in private?"_ he'd asked. She'd not known any better and had agreed, knowing her father, while being a downright jerk, would not keep bad company. Surely the man was trustworthy.

And then she'd woken up with a bunch of other people in some dark space she barely remembered, her head aching and her eyes burning with tears.

Jay had been sitting there for a few hours when she heard the familiar shuffling. She pressed her back desperately against the stone wall, her body trembling despite her determination to hide it. She knew that sound better than her own heartbeat now. It meant that someone from a nearby cell - or herself - was going to die.

The creature stopped outside her cell, a slimy gray tongue sliding through the air to taste it. She could see its awkward limbs quivering as it tested the air, tasting for her fear. And when it caught the taste of it, it laughed, sounding like metal scraping over a chalkboard.

She heard its voice in her head and true fear filled her, making her bite back a sob. _Tasty…._ it crooned. _Not ready...not yet…_

She let out the sob as it moved on. A moment later, she heard a man screaming in sheer terror and agony. A wet slosh was heard just before he fell silent. Jay heard someone nearby begin to weep, and that was it. She wondered if there was anyone left. Anyone but her and the weeping person.

Shivering, Jay closed her eyes, resting her grimy cheek against the wall and praying that she'd somehow survive this.

* * *

Jay wasn't entirely sure of how much time had passed when she heard shouting. Her head snapped up, and she listened intently, noting dully that she was never sure of how much time had passed in this hell. She cocked her head a little as she listened, her blue eyes sharp with wariness.

The shouting turned to rage-filled shrieks, accompanied by the slightest sounds of shuffling that warned her of who was coming. Jay pressed back, silent, and then jumped when the creature appeared before her cell, hauling a struggling woman with it. Jay silently watched in shock when the barred door of her cell was pried open and the creature threw the woman in so hard that she landed on her back and clawed at her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. Without another word, the creature reattached the door and shuffled off, cackling to itself and snapping its teeth in glee.

Jay waited until it was gone, and then crawled on her bruised knees and hands over to the poor woman. She hadn't been there very long. She was young, not much older or younger than Jay, with darker skin, wild brown eyes, and hair falling around her shoulders. Her clothes looked as torn and ripped as Jay's, maybe even a little more so despite her lack of time there, and Jay wondered how hard she'd fought. "Are you...okay?" she said hoarsely. She hadn't spoken in so long!  
The woman speechlessly nodded, face hardening as she sat up. She rubbed her chest a little and then muttered, "Ridiculous. Showed up out of nowhere-"

"Sh," Jay hushed, pressing her finger to her lips. The woman held an accent she'd not heard but once or twice, when her father's co-workers from across the ever smaller Atlantic had come. She took a shaken breath. "Don't speak too loudly, it will come back. I'm Jayden O'Connors, but you can call me Jay. What's your name?"

"Martha Jones," Martha said in response, taking a deep breath herself. She looked a little bit calmer as she rubbed her hands over her arms and looked around. "Have you seen it go by with someone? I've been looking for him since he disappeared on me almost an hour ago…"

Jay found herself startled. "You mean you weren't brought here by someone else?"

"Other than the one I'm with, no," Martha replied, climbing to her feet. She went over to test the strength of the bars, giving them a solid shake and scowling when the door didn't budge. She felt along them, seeking a lock. "It's a long story best saved for later. How do we get out?"

"We don't," Jay said honestly and tucked herself back into her corner. "I don't know where your friend is, but he'll be dead or trapped, soon."

"Oh, it's not a problem if he's trapped," Martha said, thinking of everything that she'd seen the man capable of so far. It certainly wasn't a problem at all. But she needed him to get home, and she was worried that he'd simply up and leave them there. Giving up, she began to pace the cell. Jay watched her from quiet blue eyes. "How'd you end up in here then? Where are you from?"

"You haven't heard of me?" Jay was startled. Almost everyone knew who she was. Maybe it was a blessing though. Maybe it was a good thing. "I'm a part of the O'Connors family, who runs the most successful company seen in the last two centuries." She said it without a care. She hated it. "We're based in the fifth expansion onto the Atlantic Ocean of New York City." A pause. "Where are you from?"

"Not there," was Martha's only response. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't know." Jay sighed softly, licking her dry lips. Her throat was aching from talking so much for the first time in a while. She'd not eaten or drunk anything in a while either, which only made it so much harder. She closed her eyes to rest. "A while. When I first came, there were two other women in here with me and nearly thirty overall."

"What happened to them?"

"The creature ate them," Jay mumbled, tightening her grip around her knees. "It won't be long. There's you, me, and one other. I can feel it. I'll be next." Her voice hitched, tears gathering. "I don't want to die. I really don't."

"You won't," Martha said fiercely. "That man I know? He'll be coming soon. I mean, if he's willing to walk around with Shakespeare and deal with witches, there's no way he'd just leave people here." A pause. "I hope. I haven't really seen much of him, I'm realizing."

Jay gave a choked laugh. "We're as good as dead," she murmured, speaking confidently, as if she knew that such a thing was certain. "That thing won't let us go. It'll eat us and that'll be it." She lifted her chin a little. "I'm sorry, that you won't get to go home."

Martha shot her an irritable look and kicked at a rock. "Don't think like that. It won't help us get out of here. What have you tried?"

Jay thought it over for a few minutes and then said, "I've tried just about everything. I shook the bars, kicked at them, threw debris at them...no luck." She drew her knees beneath her and watched as Martha thoughtfully picked up a larger piece of debris, weighing it in her hand. After a moment, she returned to the bars. She ran her fingers over them, searching-

"Lock," she grinned, and then wedged the debris through. She awkwardly began to slam the large stone against the hinge, and Jay cowered at the loud banging sounds that filled the air.

"Martha!" she protested, pleading. "Stop! You'll bring it to us, and then-"

"Ah-ha!" she cheered as something cracked and the door, which Jay had ripped at with all of her strength and failed, shifted. Martha carefully tossed the stone over her shoulder and then hefted the door a little out of the way. "There! Look, it's big enough for us to wedge through it now. Are you coming, Jay?"

Jay thought it over. She was dead either way, though. So, she climbed to her sore bare feet and padded softly over to join Martha at the door. She swallowed painfully as Martha ducked through the hole she'd managed to make, squirming when she got stuck for a moment. When she'd got out on the other side, Martha turned to look back and Jay hastily followed, taking Martha's hand when she offered it. "Thanks," she whispered as she paused to regain her bearings. Jay peered around them, making a face at the sight of empty, blood-stained cells that looked just like hers. It was dim, so dark she could barely see, but a single torch further down the wall gave enough light that the stains looked like shadows. Martha barely noticed them, instead marching up to the torch and prying it from the wall. She made a face as it came away somewhat slimy, covered in what looked like mold. "Oh, gross."

Jay curled a lip slightly in disgust and then wrapped her arms around herself as she began to follow Martha down the stone corridor lined with cells. She kept close, trusting the girl she'd met only minutes before for a reason she couldn't explain. This girl, who'd gotten out when Jay hadn't been able to in so long, would be the person who got them out of there, no matter what Jay thought in the back of her mind. No matter what she had doubts about. Martha would get them to safety.

As they walked, Jay asked, "Martha, where are you from?"

"Earth, a couple centuries before this one," she replied, and then admitted, "I think, I'm not entirely sure actually. The Doctor mentioned that this was I think two centuries in the future...we were only supposed to go on one trip, but something hijacked his ship and dragged it here. I don't remember what he called this kind of place. Not a parallel universe, but something similar? I don't know."

Jay's eyes lit up with excitement. She remembered the one class she'd taken in history - her parents had paid the university to keep her in line, or whatever they'd called it - but she'd been allowed to pick one class to satisfy the history requirement. She'd chosen to study the early 2000s and the twenty years after, and had _loved_ them. "I've always loved learning about that time! Is it true that you don't yet have the cure to cancer? And that cars use fossil fuels to get around? And that you have yet to find a way to live on the moon?"

Martha threw her a startled look, eyes wide with surprise. "You live on the moon?"

"Some do, but I've been there a few times," Jay said with a dismissive wave. "My father says that the family needs to be ready to deal with whatever problems arise in the company, but I always thought it would be fun to live on the moon." She found herself rather chatty despite her sore throat, her fear making her anxious and her anxiety making her try to calm it through speech.

"...yeah. I guess all of that is true," she said with a shrug, and she furrowed her brow. "What about you? What's life in the future like?"

"Um, I wouldn't know," she admitted, "I'm not usually allowed to leave to leave my household, and even then leaving my room is an unusual circumstance outside of family dinners." She thought about it for a moment. "I go places for parties. The moon was interesting."

Martha chuckled, shaking her head almost in disbelief, but said nothing else about what the future might be like for her. Instead, she frowned when Jay suddenly paused, listening intently. "Do you hear that?" Jay asked quietly.

Jay pressed her lips together, listening. A soft sound, a hum almost, was in the air. Jay slowly slid to the floor, resting her fingers against the stone, and Martha threw her a puzzled glance as she did so. Jay said nothing as she waited, and then tilted her head back, blue eyes sharp. "I don't think it's the monster, but...I can feel it. Whatever this is, it's humming through the stone. I can feel it. I...I feel as if it's not malevolent, Martha."

Martha nodded and helped Jay to her feet, frowning a little at how thin the young woman was. Martha was young herself, but Jay seemed even younger, and it worried her that she'd been here for an unknown length of time and was so bony. Hopefully, the Doctor would know what to do. If she found him. She'd kill him when she found him.

 _Or kiss him!_ Martha cheered quietly when they followed the hum that Jay had felt and found themselves confronted with a familiar blue police box. Jay was fascinated by it, cocking her head in confusion, but Martha knocked smartly on the front door, calling, "Doctor?"

There was no answer, and Martha was disappointed. They'd found his TARDIS, but no sign of him. "Come on, Jay, it looks like he's not here-"

She stopped.

"What on earth are you doing?" she asked, arching a brow as she watched Jay stroke her fingers over the blue wood, her eyes round with interest. Jay had pressed her cheek to it, her gaze hooded. She leaned her head to its hard surface, and Martha could have sworn she heard the wood groan beneath Jay's touch. "Jay?"

"Don't you hear it?" she asked, surprised. "It's singing."

Martha decided then and there that this girl had been in the darkness and fear for far too long. Slowly, she shook her head and said, "No. No, it's just...wood. On the outside of a spaceship."

"Not just a spaceship," Jay breathed, her fingers continuing to stroke the wood. She finally pulled away, resting her chin against the surface as she looked up at the sign at the top that read words she didn't bother to read. "So much more. This is...so much more." She smiled. "Living. It pulses with life, unlike any other spaceship I've seen. And I've seen plenty, believe me. My father sells parts for them." She pulled back at long last, looking reluctant, and the TARDIS seemed to moan in protest.

But she forced herself to turn her back on it for now, instead asking, "The person you're looking for isn't here?"

Martha slowly shook her head, not tearing her eyes from Jay for an instant. "No. No, he's not. Which means he's somewhere else. I don't have a key, or we could wait inside the TARDIS for him…" She eyed the lock with distaste, and then grabbed Jay's hand and started off again, away from the ship. Jay looked unhappy to leave it behind, and she could feel it humming beneath her feet, but she let Martha tug her along.

Perhaps this man Martha sought could explain the song to her? For it had been sad, and so, so lonely…

Once again, the women began their trek through the creature's home.

* * *

This place was quite good at creating the impression that one was lost to time, the Doctor mused to himself, knelt among the slime left behind by an alien he didn't believe he'd come into contact with before. He ran his finger through the slime, contemplating. Usually, he wouldn't have hesitated to pop his finger into his mouth, but something told him it would be a bad idea. The slime burned on his fingers, let alone the inside of his mouth, so he wiped it on his pants and continued onward, occasionally scanning with his sonic screwdriver.

He just didn't understand. It didn't happen often, but the Doctor couldn't understand how this creature, who seemed to be barely capable of human levels of intelligence - if he was right, he'd only encountered it for the briefest of moments before it had torn off in another direction, seeking something or someone - could trap the TARDIS in its bubble outside of the normal universe he occupied.

How?

And he still had to find Martha, too, and make sure that the TARDIS was all right...heaven forbid the life form got its hands on his Sexy…

The Doctor paced along the corridor, not bothered at all by the near pitch black he walked in. He'd experienced far worse. The Time War, the Daleks...everything about them was far worse than anything the dark could bring. He imagined that for some, this creature would be the one of nightmares.

Understandable, though he hadn't really had a good look at it before it was-

The Doctor stilled when something caught his attention, the sound of weeping. Instinct had him tracking the sound to its origin, his feet moving quickly through the corridors, his eyes sharp as he watched for the alien. While the Doctor wasn't one for killing, that didn't mean others felt the same, and something about this creature told him it wasn't in the same mindset he was.

He sped up to a jog as the weeping became terrified screaming, pleas of "no" and "please."

He stopped when it became silence.

Sadness filled the Doctor as he noted that the person was very likely dead, if not worse. But his attention rose to hyper alert as he heard shuffling nearby, followed by another scream - this one like nothing he'd ever heard. It echoed through the stone corridors, full of fury that he himself understood. The Doctor felt goosebumps rise to his flesh, and shook his head hastily before starting forward again, this time noting that he was now passing walls lined with medieval barred cells, and decided that his priorities needed to be rearranged.

TARDIS first.

Because then he could find Martha.

* * *

When the scream filled the air, Martha nearly buckled beneath the sudden weight of Jay clutching her, her blue eyes rounding with sheer terror. "Oh, _no_ ," Jay whimpered, her nails digging into Martha's jacket-clad arm. "Oh no! We need to go. We need to _go_."

Not liking the franticness with which Jay was suddenly yanking her down the hall, her hands shaking so hard that she could barely hold onto Martha, the other woman demanded, "What was that?"

"It's angry," Jay whispered. "It found us gone. We have to go, Martha. It's coming."

Martha felt a shiver go down her spine at the way Jay said that, and before long, they were both sprinting down the hall. Jay ignored the burning of something smearing her bare feet, seeping into the cuts and bruises that littered them, determined to get out of there as quickly as she could. If need be, she decided, she'd drag Martha by the hair, because no one deserved the fate that the creature had laid out for them.

"We should go back to the TARDIS," Martha gasped. "The Doctor will show up at some point-"

"I tried hiding and it found me when we first came here," Jay argued, not looking back. "If we go and hide behind the ship until your friend comes, we will be found. And we _will_ -"

She slammed into something, and Jay was sent rebounding with a yelp right into Martha, both of them crashing onto the slime covered stone floor. Jay yelped when something jagged ripped through her arm, sending pain shooting up the limb. Martha propped herself up on her elbow as she peered up at why they'd been stopped, scowling, but then gave a flash of a smile.

"There you are," the Doctor mused, looking startled that someone had run into him. He had his hands in his pockets, his gaze darting curiously between Martha and Jay. "Who's this?"

"Jay," Martha answered, and then demanded, "Where've you been, Doctor? Been looking all over for you. You just...left! While I was being dragged off by that...that thing!" She climbed to her feet, looking agitated, and he grimaced.

"Sorry 'bout that, got distracted." He offered a friendly hand to Jay, who hesitated before taking it. She examined the cut in her arm, which shook in agony as the slime from the floor suddenly hissed and seemed to almost bubble. Her face went white and the Doctor immediately narrowed his gaze and snatched her arm up, investigating. "Not good," he muttered, looking grim. "Not good at all." He paused when another scream filled the air, this one even angrier than before. "But we can deal with that later. Have you seen the TARDIS?" he asked Martha.

Martha gave a curt nod, still not pleased with him whatsoever. She nodded her head in the direction they'd come from. "Passed the police box not too long ago."

The Doctor stepped past them, gripping Jay's wrist to tug the young woman along, but she held firm, even as her arm throbbed with agony. "No," she whispered, heart racing. "We can't. We can't go that way, it's down there. Can't you hear it?"

"Hear it?" he questioned curiously. "You can hear it when it moves?"

She gave him a wry look. "When it shuffles past to kill your cellmates, you get to know what it sounds like." She remained firm, even tugging her arm free. She pressed the cut to her torn and shredded dress, saying, "We can't go that way. Surely there's another route we can take?"

"I haven't been able to so much as get a bearing in here," Martha reported, shaking her head. "It's as if-"

"The corridors regenerate themselves randomly, intentional in their confusing of the victims stuck here," the Doctor finished, nodding curtly. "Which means even if we were to go back the way you came, it's unlikely the TARDIS would be where you left her." He raked a hand through his messy hair and then popped a finger into his mouth. Lifting it into the air, he paused, and then opened his mouth to speak.

He was cut off by another scream, this one practically bursting their eardrums in strength as the creature threw itself from the shadows. Its arms stretched out, reaching, and the Doctor whirled around, shoving Martha and Jay forward. "Run!"

They did.

Jay raced beside Martha, the Doctor only a step behind them as they fled from the monster on their heels. Jay shot around the next corner like a rocket, sobbing as she ran. She could imagine the sight of the alien eating the person she'd shared her cell with, remember those sharp teeth, the screaming-

Even as her legs began to buckle, exhausted, she pushed herself further and faster. She would not let herself be captured again, fear driving her forward. Martha didn't let her fall behind, either, keeping a tight grip on her wrist.

Suddenly, she felt it.

Jay stopped for the briefest of moments, and the Doctor nearly tripped over her, startled by the sudden stop.

She felt it, she realized. She could hear its song.

The TARDIS, as they'd called that beautiful blue ship, was singing its song, calling for them, and Jay tore down the corridor again, shouting, "This way!" Her voice rang with excitement, glee, and Martha gave her a look of exasperation. What was _wrong_ with this girl?!

Her attitude changed when the TARDIS came into view, and the Doctor gave a whoop of excitement, charging forward and slamming into the front doors at full force. Whereas they'd been locked before, the TARDIS seemed to sense their desperation, and the doors flew wide open. They piled in, even Jay, who'd not been inside or even invited, and then the doors slammed shut behind them. A second later, the entire ship rocked as the monster crashed into the side, screaming in fury.

Jay's hands shook, her body aching and full of fiery pain as Martha clambered off of her. She simply lay there on the strange grated space beneath her, the song loud in her ears but fading into silence. She was so tired, so exhausted. So ready to just let this grated floor rise up and swallow her whole-

But there were gentle hands on her shoulders then, giving her a shake. "Up you go," the man Martha had called a doctor urged gently, smiling briefly before forcing her to her feet. Lifting his head, he asked, "Martha, could you get her to the seat by the console?"

"Sure," Martha agreed, winding an arm around Jay's waist, and the blonde stopped dead rather than continuing forward. She stared up and around, in awe of the room. Martha chuckled. "Cool, isn't it?"

"Bigger," she said faintly. "But beautiful, too."

The Doctor beamed, and then grimaced when the ship rocked beneath their feet. "We can't leave it here, not if it's been eating people." He paused to tap the console he'd suddenly walked over to, reaching for a screen that swung into reach. "Do you know what it is, old girl?" Without looking back, he added aloud, "Martha, get those cuts cleaned out."

"Please," Jay said pitifully, holding out the gashed arm to show Martha the way it was burning and bubbling, the skin blistering beneath the slime that coated the wounds. She could feel it searing its ways into her veins, and something told her she'd feel the effects of that burning for a while.

Martha's eyes rounded at the sight. "Oh, my-"

"Infirmary, down that hall, two lefts and a right," the Doctor told her, still studying the screen as it relayed information neither woman could read. He finally looked back for the briefest of moments. "The TARDIS will put everything you need in a cabinet. You know what to look for." He gave her a smile before he went back to what he was doing and Jay finally spluttered, nearly slurring her words, "What _are_ you?"

He opened his mouth to give the answer he always gave, that he was the Doctor, and then realized that she hadn't asked who he was, but what he was. He blinked. That was new. "Time Lord," he said cheerfully, reaching out and smacking the screen away. He had what he needed. The TARDIS had reported the creature to be one of nightmarish proportions, and he'd decided it best to seal up the creature's little universe bubble permanently rather than killing it. Mostly because he wasn't one for killing.

"Time Lord," Jay repeated, her voice thick. She allowed Martha to guide her to her feet, even following her towards the infirmary. "I've heard of you. I think." And then she was gone, whisked down a corridor to the infirmary.

The Doctor watched after her, finding himself delighted. This human girl had not only found the TARDIS somehow, but she'd heard of his presence on what he assumed to be Earth. Of course, he wasn't entirely sure. This creature had been drawing on humans from all over.

After he dealt with sealing it away, he mused as he fiddled with a lever, he'd have to figure out who was handing the humans over. They'd be dealt with after this was over and after he'd figured out just what that slime would do the girl who'd been bathed in it. If it had burned his skin, he didn't want to think what it was doing as it seeped into open wounds-

The Doctor stilled, and then whirled around just in time to hear Martha shout "Doctor!" He took off at a sprint, winding his way to the infirmary, and when he arrived, breathing a little hard, he was confronted by the sight of a panicked Martha holding a bloodied rag - soaked through and dripping to the solid floor the TARDIS had created for the infirmary. It was as if her body was forcing all of the blood it could through the large cut. Jay was shivering, her eyes round with shock and her lips parted as she sucked in confused and pained gasps.

Martha turned confused and desperate eyes on him. She wasn't made for this, damn it! She was trying to become a human doctor, not...not one who dealt with aliens!

"Keep the pressure," he ordered, becoming a whirlwind of chaos as he sought after something that would seal the wound. "Keep her talking."

"Right!" Martha turned her entire attention back onto Jay. "You said you were from the future, right? Tell me more about it." Jay turned a shocked look on her, stunned that she'd be asking questions like that right now when she appeared to be bleeding abnormally heavily for a gash in an arm. "Tell me!" she ordered. "What's up with the family?"

"I...I…" Jay sputtered for a few moments, and then finally cleared her throat and said faintly, "I have a brother."

"Good," Martha said, holding her hand out when the Doctor offered another, fresh rag, a couple jars of something in his hands. He ordered her to try them, and then went back to searching through different cabinets, muttering aloud under his breath. "What's his name?"

"Lucas O'Connors," Jay answered.

The Doctor smacked his head on a cabinet shelf he'd bent over to search through, looking over his shoulder at her in shock. "You. You're an O'Connors?"

Jay seemed to shrink in on herself. "Yes."

But he didn't clarify, instead threw himself fully back into what he was doing. Martha noted that, deciding to ask later, when Jay wasn't bleeding out. Her face was ghostly now, twisted with pain, and Martha felt bad for her. Gently, Martha began to try and smear one of the creams over the injury. The blood only kept going, so Martha pressed the cloth over it and asked, "How old is Lucas?"

"Nine," Jay answered, face softening despite the fear. "He's only nine. He's a good kid, even though he's been spoiled by our mother and father. He just got a dog, the day I left." Her lips trembled. "He named the puppy after me. J.J. It's what he called me when he was too young to say my full name."

"Aw," Martha murmured, smiling briefly. She tried another ointment, this one only making Jay flinch and try to rip her arm away. "Doctor!" she called, "None of these are-"

"Let me in," he ordered, stepping into Martha's space. She moved away with wide eyes and he gently took Jay's arm out of her hands. Jay watched him curiously from beneath her lashes as he began to try different jars, ordering Martha to hand him which one he wanted to try next.

After a moment, Jay said, "You're older than you appear to be, aren't you." A pause, and then she flushed and said hastily, "Not to be rude, of course."

He chuckled and paused to check a jar Martha handed him. "Yes, I am. Martha, I change my mind, give me the one on the far side, with the green and blue lid. We need to heal the wound rather than counteract whatever's infected it. We can worry about that later, when she's not going to bleed out."

"Are you qualified for this?" Martha couldn't help but ask as she gave him the jar he'd asked for, her worried eyes darting to Jay, who was looking ready to pass out. "Should we take her to a hospital?"

"Perhaps. After we can leave," he decided. "For now…" He eyed the jar, studying the liquid within. "I'm going to need a clean syringe. Martha, third drawer from the top in the center."

Jay's eyes rounded as Martha handed it to him, withdrawing it from the drawer with ease. "What's that?" she demanded, snatching her arm back. The Doctor protested, but she only lifted her voice in fear at the sight of the needle that had appeared in his hand. " _What is that_?"

Martha gave her an incredulous look. "Honestly, you've dealt with a nightmare and are bleeding out because of it, but you're scared of a _needle_?"

"Stay away from me," Jay warned, tucking her bloodied feet beneath her on the small seat she'd been using, looking ready to hurtle off of it and throw herself past him. "Stay away."

The Doctor stared at her, unsure of how to proceed, so Martha sighed heavily and stepped around him, grabbing her shoulders gently before she could try and get away. "Jay O'Connors," she said firmly, smiling briefly at the scared girl. She threw the Doctor a look, and he inclined his head a little. "I know you're scared. But you need to give us a chance to help you, okay?"

Jay took a shaken breath. "The last time someone used one of those, I ended up in a cell."

Martha grimaced, understanding the reasoning behind her fear. And she had to give the girl credit for being as brave as she had thus far. Martha, had she not known the capabilities of the Doctor and his TARDIS and had she not held newly acquired trust for him, would have been fleeing the other way from them. "Jay," she repeated. "We aren't going to hurt you. If anything, the Doctor will get you home."

To her bewilderment, Jay whispered, "I don't want to go home either." Her voice cracked. "How do you think I ended up in that cell, Martha? My father tried to marry me off to the man who put me there."

A chill ran down her spine. How could a father be so heartless? No matter how much her own parents argued, Martha knew they loved her.

"Then we'll find somewhere else," she said gently. "We'll find you a place where you can feel at home and loved, alright? But we won't take you anywhere dangerous. You're _safe_. But you _have_ to let us stop the bleeding. Will you let me give you the injection? I promise you, it's just to help the bleeding. It's not to do anything else."

Jay, heart racing, breathed, "You promise? Do you promise me that nothing will happen?" Martha promised, and then Jay turned wide blue eyes on the Doctor, begging him silently.

He said gently, "I promise."

"Okay. Okay, you can...you can do it," Jay breathed, holding her arm back out. She held the Doctor's gaze warily, and he handed the syringe to Martha at her request. Martha expertly prepared it, and then told Jay to distract herself because it would help.

The Doctor took it upon himself to help, crouching beside the chair that Jay had settled back into. He offered a bright smile. "So you're an O'Connors?" he added as Martha tried to figure out the best place to give the injection.

"Yes," Jay said with a grimace, flinching when Martha prodded at a spot. "Sadly. My father, Mark, is the CEO of the wealthiest company in our time. We sell parts for spaceships to the other wealthy morons," she added wryly, rolling her eyes a little. She didn't understand why everyone had to go back and forth so often, littering the area around their beautiful planet. Well, not so pretty now. People had begun to grow concerned, even mentioning ideas on how to fix it.

The Doctor flashed another quick grin before saying, "Quite the famous name in later years. First and only family to spread the industry throughout the galaxy and even further centuries later. Even end up with their own planet. Too bad it's enveloped with a plague that kills everyone." Jay looked horrified by the idea, and then squealed when there was a sharp pinch. A moment later, Martha pulled back and told her she was done.

The Doctor immediately snagged the injured arm to look and sure enough, the wound seemed to close before their eyes. Martha's eyes rounded. "Why don't we have that on Earth?" she demanded.

"Mortality is an important part of humanity," was all he said. "And if used too often, it tends to have bad effects." He narrowed his eyes a little and ran his fingers over the veins around the scar that had formed. Jay stared at them, too, for they'd turned black. When the Doctor requested to look at her foot, the same thing was discovered. "Martha, from here. A right and a left followed by another right, third door on the right. After that, door exactly to the right."

"Doctor?" Martha questioned when he rocketed to his feet and flounced from the room, but he left without another word and was long gone by the time she went to check out after him.

Shrugging to herself, Martha let him go and then went back to Jay, pulling her carefully to her feet. "Come on," she mumbled, "let's go see what he wanted us to look at…"

* * *

It turned out that the pair of women had been directed into a closet of mammoth proportions. Even Jay was impressed. _"This makes my mother's closet look petite,"_ she had told Martha, eyes round with shock.

Martha had caught on quickly to the Doctor's intentions and helped Jay pick out some clean clothes and even shoes, handing her a pair of shoes like the Doctor's. Jay had eyed them anxiously but said nothing, only let Martha steer her to the door on their right after leaving the closet.

A quick bath in the nice bathroom that Martha had previously not known existed cleaned Jay up, and the girl found herself relying heavily on Martha's help when she quickly grew exhausted, ready to pass out in the bath. But after getting cleaned up, Matha helped her get dressed in clothes she'd never worn before - something that Martha was astonished about.

As Martha instructed her on how to tie her shoes, which Jay struggled horribly with, the embarrassed blonde admitted, "My family is always wearing formal clothes. I've seen clothes like these in books in my classes, but I've only ever worn formal gowns and such. And heels."

Martha snorted as she stood, helping Jay to her feet. She couldn't even walk in the shortest of heels. "Come on," she said firmly, "let's go see if the Doctor has figured out what to do about your nightmare of an alien, Jay…"

They finally returned to the main control area, and Jay allowed herself to run her fingers along the walls as Martha abandoned her to stride over to the Doctor, speaking to him urgently under her breath. Jay didn't bother to join them. Instead, she smiled quietly as she listened to the song in her ears, not entirely understanding just how she was hearing something the other two didn't seem to notice.

She lightly crouched on the grated floor, letting her fingers run over it. "Beautiful," she breathed.

There was a sudden yelp from where the Doctor and Martha stood, and Jay's head snapped up to find him waving away sparks that had burst forth. She grinned, sensing that the TARDIS had done it in response to her compliment, but said nothing more and instead cleared her throat to catch the Doctor's attention. He looked her way and she asked, "What now?"

He beamed, and then turned back to the various buttons, levers, knobs, and so much more. "I figured out where the single entrance and exit point into this little bubble was while you were getting cleaned up. Now, we close it. Then, we get something to eat."

As if it was an everyday experience, closing up an alien into a something that Jay compared to another dimension.

Jay hesitated, watching as Martha stepped back to let him flounce around, chattering about everything and nothing, changing subjects so fast she barely understood. Finally, she said, "You...you are not human, are you? You called yourself a Time Lord."

"I am," Martha supplied with a grimace. "Just tagging along for now." She'd wanted to see exciting sights, like that of the moon and Shakespeare. She'd not imagined that there were aliens like the one they'd encountered out and about. Suddenly, she added, "He's alien though."

"You don't look alien," Jay commented, studying the Doctor closely.

"You don't look human," he retorted, flipping a switch so that a panel in the floor popped open. "Time Lords came first." And then he was clambering down through the floor, muttering to himself.

Martha rolled her eyes and then said, "An odd one, that's what he is."

To her surprise, Jay smiled broadly, blue eyes glittering with excitement. "But not a bad one. He's old. Incredibly old. But I believe it's made him kind." A pause. "Well, to those who deserve that kindness, like you." Rather than speaking further on the matter, Jay went back to exploring the control room, running her fingers along railings and humming under her breath. Her fingers throbbed, nearly numb, but she ignored it.

She wanted to investigate this beautiful ship that had called out through its song. _Her_ song, Jay could feel. In either case, Jay liked her.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked when the Doctor re-emerged not too long later, sonic screwdriver held daintily between his teeth and the hand not gripping a ladder holding a flat metal disk with a very big red button in the center of it. "What is that?"

"A thing," was the only answer he gave, and he carefully set it down on the console before swinging the screen around to look at it. Jay joined the pair, peering over his shoulder with Martha at the screen. Jay furrowed her brow when she couldn't read what information filled it, but didn't bother to ask, because Martha apparently couldn't either. The Doctor, however, could, and patted the console. "Thanks, old girl. Good place to land. Alright. Martha, I need your help. Take this," he handed her the device he'd brought up, "and don't touch that red button unless you want to implode."

Martha looked like she wanted nothing more than to hurl it away from her but kept a careful grip on it.

"Jay O'Connors," he continued, turning to Jay. She straightened, lips quirking a little when he asked, "How good is your grip?"

"Not very. I can't feel my fingers," she admitted.

"Then you go and sit in that seat and hold on best as you can," he instructed, gesturing to the captain's seat across the console. Jay bounced over to it quickly, sensing that he wanted to get a move on. "Martha, let me see that now." She handed over the device, and he nodded. "Okay, I'm going to set coordinates, and when I say so, you'll need to pull this lever." He touched the very lever he'd mentioned, eyes wary. "Not a second too late, or we'll implode along with this fellow outside."

"Right," Martha said confidently despite not looking as such.

The Doctor made sure everything was set, quickly setting whatever coordinates he wanted, and then approached the doors. From where she'd seated herself, Jay's eyes grew round and she shot to her feet. "What are you doing?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "We can't close the opening from in _here_."

"It's waiting out there!" she said with distress. "Are you insane?"

The Doctor turned back around and stopped before the doors. "That's why I'm going to press the button, drop it outside, close the door, and Martha's going to hit the lever. We'll have three seconds, Martha. Approximately three point...oh, I'd say seven, maybe? seconds before it goes off. Be ready."

"Right," Martha agreed, wrapping her hand around the lever. The Doctor waited until Jay was back in the seat, until Martha had nodded, and then slowly slid the door open just enough to press the button and hurl the device through the crack just as the alien screamed, throwing itself at the TARDIS again. Jay yelped when the TARDIS rocked.

The Doctor barely slammed the door shut before shouting, "Martha!"

She yanked the lever down, and Jay squealed when the TARDIS shook violently, suddenly shaking this way and that as if determined to dislodge them. No, Jay realized as the Doctor managed to somehow stumble to the controls, his face fierce. Not to dislodge them - to free them from the realm in which she'd been trapped. For the first time, it hit Jay that she was free. Truly free. Dressed in shoes that didn't hurt her feet with poisonous slime racing through her veins and strangers with a spaceship, but _free_.

And despite all of the fear that she'd felt for the past few seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, possibly _years_ …

Jay threw her head back and laughed in delight.

* * *

 _I have things I should be doing. But I wanted to write this instead._

 _I have four, almost five chapters written including this one. This fic is something I've tried before, but re-did. It's coming out much better now. :D It's going to be a lot like my_ Skinwalker _fic, in which I update when I can. I'll update every other day to every two days for now due to pre-written stuff, but no promises on keeping that up. This'll go from Martha-era all the way to the end of the 11th Doctor if I actually get that far. I might even split it up into multiple fics. We'll see._

 _I hope you enjoy!_


	2. Gridlock

The TARDIS stopped moving so suddenly and with such a large jolt that Jay found her fingers ripped from their grip on the seat she'd been using. She shrieked as she hit the grated floors on her hands and knees, her head snapping up to make sure that the two people she was with were okay. Martha had been sent sprawling on her rear, her face twisted with surprise, but the Doctor had kept his balance and was practically bouncing around the console, cheerfully claiming, "Great job, Martha, did it at precisely the right moment…"

"Did it close?" Jay asked, barely able to breathe in her desperation to think that no one else would suffer from the pain that alien-nightmare had caused.

The Doctor waited to answer, checking something on the screen, and then beamed. "Yes."

Jay laughed breathlessly in relief, and then climbed to her feet. Now that they were out of danger, her stomach was practically howling in demand for sustenance. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten, and knew it had been a while. She couldn't remember seeing so many ribs when taking a bath before the one she'd taken recently.

"So, where are we then?" Martha asked, climbing to her feet as well. She brushed herself off.

The Doctor cast her an almost mischievous look. "Just one trip, that's what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home. Kind of stretched that definition, but we're going to do keep up that stretch. You had one in the past, one into...wherever that was. How do you fancy one in the future?"

Martha looked interested, her dark eyes flickering curiously. "No complaints from me," she said honestly.

The Doctor turned on Jay, hands pushed into his pockets. "And you? Don't want to go running home just yet?" Not that he'd let her quite yet. They had things to do regarding Jay - mostly finding out the effects that the slime would have on her human body. Which was why he'd chosen their destination, although he didn't say as much aloud.

"Never," Jay admitted, surprising both of them. "I don't ever want to go back, if that's an option." And she didn't. She'd miss Lucas, but she couldn't bear going back to a house where she'd be shoved into a room until she was married for the benefit of her father's company. She wanted to stay with these people, who seemed to live such an exciting life. And even if she couldn't stay with them...maybe Martha knew someone who'd take her in, help her out.

The Doctor looked pleased and told them, "Good. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth. Known for quite the hospital," he added to Jay, who shivered at the thought of more needles. "I thought it would be a good first stop."

"Good idea," Martha agreed, and ducked around him eagerly. She didn't bother to wait, bursting out of the TARDIS doors in her eagerness and despite her hunger, Jay eagerly tripped after her. The Doctor wasn't far behind, making a mental note to fetch them all something to eat and Jay a checkup before they did anything exciting.

"Oh, that's nice," Martha drawled as the Doctor stepped out with them, closing the door to the TARDIS behind him. It was pouring, and Jay shivered, immediately flinging her hands over her head as if it would protect her from the drizzle. "Time Lord version of dazzling."

"Nah," he hummed, sauntering forward. "Bit of rain never hurt anyone. Come on, let's get under cover."

As they quickly scampered for shelter, Martha looked around, and Jay copied, her eyes curiously studying the world around them. "It looks like the same old Earth to me," Martha said, "on a Wednesday afternoon."

"Is this what your time looks like?" Jay breathed, her eyes round with excitement despite the tingling in her fingers and palms. "Because I've never seen anything quite like this." She thought of her own city, in which one couldn't see the sky and vehicles were self-driven, where robots were helpful and at every street corner to help visitors if they were lost. This was much nicer, even with the shambles of buildings made of plywood.

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor insisted, eyes catching on a monitor that was hanging from a small sheltered area that they decided to take cover in. Shaking the water from his hair, he withdrew his sonic screwdriver from his pocket - Martha whispered the name of the device to Jay - and pointed it at the screen.

"-should be clear and easy," a woman on the screen said brightly, "with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway." An image of a beautiful, incredibly high-tec city appeared on the screen, and Jay leaned in to murmur to Martha that such a sight was similar to what some of the smaller cities in her time looked like. Martha looked stunned by the flying cars.

"That's more like it," the Doctor said confidently. "That's the view we had last time." He paused, as if thinking of something neither knew of with a hint of sadness in his eyes, but then it was gone, and he was shrugging. "This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city."

Martha was somewhat displeased with this, and Jay couldn't understand why. "You've brought us to the slums?"

"I think it's delightful," Jay said honestly. "Believe me, Martha, the high and mighty wealthier areas are full of snobs who don't give a damn about the people around them as they flaunt their wealth."

"Much more interesting here," the Doctor agreed, beaming at her. He liked her attitude.

Martha was quite for a moment, and then she asked quietly, "When you say last time, was that you and Rose, Doctor?" That brought back the darkness in his gaze, but he only nodded curtly. "You're taking me - us," she corrected with a glance at the dew-eyed Jay, "to the same planets that you took her?"

Quietly, the Doctor challenged, "What's wrong with that? Besides," he added, gesturing to the screen they'd seen, "New Earth's hospitals are fantastic. I don't know anything about what infected those injuries." He gestured to Jay, who had took a few steps away when she'd caught sight of something they'd ignored. "They might."

Martha decided not to say anything further about the subject, and the Doctor watched her suddenly blink and then rush after Jay. He followed slowly at first, but then sped up when he realized Jay was entirely fascinated by people who'd begun to practically argue around her - after popping up out of nowhere.

"Happy," a woman was crooning, "happy, lovely happy."

"Anger," a man cried. "Buy some anger, miss!"

"Get some mellow," another man argued, leaning out of his own booth. "Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long!"

"Don't go to them," the woman snarled, making Jay jump, "they'll rip you off! Do you want some happy, dear?"

"No thanks," the Doctor answered for them, stepping up and resting a hand on Martha's shoulder when she opened her mouth to speak curiously. She looked up at him, and he explained with amusement, "I think they're selling moods."

Jay watched silently as people, clearly poor and unhappy - no, Jay realized, eyes wide. Not uhappy, merely listless. She watched as one woman in particular wandered through the alleyway, her eyes mournful.

The man attempting to sell "mellow" caught sight of her and offered, "Over here, sweetheart! I'll get you first!" The seller of "happy" tried to break in, but the woman had wandered over, and the trio of time travellers watched quietly as she stopped before the seller. "What can I get you, love?" he said cheerfully, sneaking a smug look at his rival.

The woman said with a shaking voice, "I want to buy some forget, sir."

His face softened. "I've got it, my darling, what strength? How much do you want to forget?"

"It's my mother and father," she said, eyes welling with tears. "They...they went on the motorway."

The seller looked even more sorrowful as he said, "Oh, that's a swine. Try this. Forget type forty-three, two credits." They made an exchange, and the woman studied it, looking relieved.

Before she could use it, however, the Doctor stepped around his two companions and grabbed her wrist gently. "Sorry," he said urgently, and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "What happened to your parents?"

"They drove off," she told him with confusion, as if he should have understood.

"Yeah, but they might drive back."

The woman shook her head. "Everyone goes to the motorway in the end." A soft sob bubbled to her lips and escaped. "I've lost them."

"But they can't have gone far," he tried to protest. "You could - no, no, don't-"

His protests came too late, for the woman had pressed the patch she'd been given onto her neck. She blinked, eyes out of focus, and then seemed to snap out of it, flashing him a warm smile. "I'm sorry," she said, "what were you saying?" He didn't answer, releasing her wrist and stepping back. "I'm sorry," she repeated, not at all bothered by the strange behavior. "I won't keep you." And with that, she was sidling down the alleyway.

Jay turned to face the Doctor and Martha, puzzled. "We have none of those in my time. Are...are they common later in the centuries?" She looked sympathetic, feeling horrible for what humanity had come to.

Martha was disgusted. "So that's the human race five billion years in the future," she muttered, shaking her head. "Off their heads on chemicals."

Jay opened her mouth to respond, but then cried out, "Martha!" A split second later, the woman was being dragged back by a man none of them recognized and the Doctor whirled around when she gave a shriek. The stalls they'd been watching all slammed shut as a woman, accompanying the man who'd grabbed Martha, suddenly revealed a gun that she leveled at Jay and the Doctor. The Doctor instinctively swept the shocked Jay behind him, face full of horror.

"I'm sorry," the man said, backing towards a door. "I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all."

"Martha," Jay breathed, and the Doctor's face darkened with rage and desperation as he advanced after them, seething, "Let her go! I'm warning you, let her go!" When that didn't work, he changed tactics, saying hastily, "Whatever you want, I can help you. The three of us, we can help. But you've got to let her go!"

"I'm sorry," the woman said, voice cracking as she swept the door of a building behind them open. "I'm really sorry. I'm sorry."

The man dragged the struggling and screaming Martha through a door and the Doctor lunged a split second before it slammed shut, a heavy thud signaling that a lock had been put into place.

"Martha!" he shouted as he slammed into it. He pried at the door desperately, muttering under his breath. Jay, frozen in shock, shook herself into awareness and then whirled around, mind racing. She abandoned the Doctor to the door, instead running quickly for the sellers' booths. She picked the first one she came across - the seller who'd given the woman a forgetful patch - and slammed her fist violently against it, eyes blazing.

She'd known Martha for only a few hours and the Doctor for even less.

But she liked them and refused to let something like this happen.

The booth flew open and she jumped back as the man emerged, beaming. "Thought you'd come back, darling. Do you want some happiness?"

"I don't want that," Jay retorted. "The people who came. Who were they? Where did they take our friend?" She heard footsteps as the Doctor followed her over, breathing heavily in his anger. He looked furious, and it was enough to make Jay grimace in concern.

The seller hesitated, and then said, "They took her to the motorway. Looked like carjackers to me...I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again." He gestured to the space around them, scowling. "Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move there were so many people. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

"He kept on saying 'three, we need three,'" the Doctor claimed. He tapped his fingers impatiently along his arms after folding them, wanting to get moving. "What did he mean?"

"It's the car-sharing policy," he was told, "to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway," Jay said suddenly, mind racing. They couldn't leave Martha to this alone. "How do we get there?" The Doctor looked to her in surprise, but said nothing - even taking on a look of approval as the seller blinked.

"Straight down the alley," he sighed, "keep on going to the end. You can't miss it. Tell you what." He leaned in, whispering to Jay, who took on a look of agitation. "How about some happy? Then you'll be smiling, love."

The Doctor gently grabbed Jay's shoulders and moved her aside, scowling at the man. "Word of advice," he said darkly, and Jay fought the urge to flinch when his grip tightened a fraction, knowing he wasn't angry with her. "Cash up, close down, and pack your bags, because as soon as we've found her, alive and well. And we _will_ find her alive and well. Then I'm coming back, and this street is closing. Permanently."

Without another word, he steered Jay down the alleyway in the direction they'd been told to go. She kept up with ease as he sped up, walking ahead. "Doctor," she said, addressing him by "name" for the first time since entering his ship. He paused to look back at her. "She'll be okay...right?"

"We'll make sure of it," he promised. He paused, and then added, "Brilliant you were, asking the shopkeeps."

Jay smiled brightly, pleased with the compliment. When they arrived at a heavy metal door, the exchanged a wary look. "I'll go first," the Doctor decided, gently moving her aside and cranking the door open after using his sonic screwdriver to unlock it. Jay immediately drew the collar of her shirt up over her nose, eyes stinging at the fumes that washed over her. Both hastily stepped onto a balcony that overlooked what looked to be thousands of vehicles. Both were coughing heavily by the time a door of the vehicle closest to them sprang open and a voice called out amongst the smog, "Hey! You daft little street struts, what are you doing standing there?! Either get out or get in! Come on!"

The Doctor pushed Jay forward and she swung into the vehicle, helped along by gentle hands that pulled her in. He hopped in after and the door slammed shut. "Did you ever see the like?" the voice from before huffed with a lilting accent, and a dark-haired woman snorted as she gently placed something over Jay's nose to help her breathe. She blinked, her breath coming easier even as her hands and wrists seemed to be full of pins and needles, sending stabs of agony through her while the Doctor coughed heavily.

"There you are," the woman murmured, looking over when the man she was with removed his scarf and goggles, scowling. Jay stared openly, unable to help herself. _Cat-man!_ she thought as he began to speak.

"Just standing there, breathing it in." He rolled his eyes as the Doctor was offered a second oxygen mask that he willingly took, inhaling sharply and with relief. "There's this story," the cat-man told them. "Back in the old days, on the forty-seventh junction, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet."

The woman scowled and swatted at him. "Oh, stop. You're making that up."

"A fifty foot head! Just think of it," he said solemnly.

She went to scold him, and then gasped instead, "Bran! We're moving."

"Right!" They both exchanged an excited look as he went to work. The vehicle moved, but only a few inches, and the person she'd called Bran crowed, "Twenty yards! We're having a good day." He turned back to the Doctor and Jay. "And who might you be, sir, madame? Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

"Thanks," the Doctor breathed as he withdrew the oxygen mask from his nose and mouth. He indicated for Jay to leave hers on, as she was still gasping, horrified by the amount of disgusting fumes. "Sorry, I'm the Doctor and this is my friend Jay."

"Medical man!" The cat-man laughed in delight and then said, "My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life," he added affectionately with a half-hearted glare at the woman, "the lovely Valerie."

"Nice to meet you," Valerie said, smiling warmly at Jay.

"And that's the rest of the family behind you," Brannigan offered, and Jay peered over her shoulder, drawing aside a curtain to reveal a small basket with kittens in it. Her eyes softened with adoration and she crooned behind her oxygen mask.

"That's nice," the Doctor said honestly, "Hello there." He leaned over Jay to peer at the kittens, eyes gleaming with interest. "How old are they?"

"Just two months," Valerie said with a hum, and Jay wondered if it was normal throughout the galaxy for a woman to give birth to kittens. "Poor little souls. They've never known what the ground beneath their paws is like. Children of the motorway."

Jay withdrew the oxygen mask from her mouth gasping, "Wait, what? Were they born in here?"

Valerie said with a grimace, "We couldn't stop. We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island, and we thought we'd take a chance."

"You...you've been driving for two months?" she demanded, and the Doctor nodded as if eager to know the answer to this question, looking to the two adults for answers.

Brannigan snorted. "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now." When the two newcomers merely gaped at him, startled, he continued. "Started out as newlyweds. Feels like yesterday."

Valerie looked bitter as she reached back to check on her children, muttering, "Feels like twelve years to me."

Brannigan said lovingly, "Ah, sweetheart, but you're just as lovely as you were then." She flushed, pleased with the comment, and the Doctor cut into the conversation hastily, wanting to get a move on.

"How far did you come in twelve years? Where did you start?" he asked, pointing at Jay and giving her a pointed look. She protested, but he continued to give her that look until she grumbled and putt he oxygen mask back on.

"Battery Park," Valerie told them, sweeping dark hair over her shoulder. "Five miles back."

The Doctor looked horrified, and he exchanged a worried look with Jay, who understood why he was so concerned. If it had taken them twelve years to get five miles...then how could they get to Martha from here? "Never mind that," the Doctor said, waving off the concerns. "My friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. We should get back to the TARDIS, Jay."

"You're too late for that," Brannigan replied with an almost apologetic look. "We've passed the lay-by. You're a passenger now."

Jay ripped the oxygen mask back off, ignoring the Doctor's huff as she demanded, "When's the next one?"

"Oh...six months, perhaps?"

Jay's mouth opened and closed, and then remained shut as she stared at Brannigan and then at Valerie. Neither said a word, and there was complete silence for a few moments before the Doctor said darkly, "That's not going to work. We don't have six months." He lunged forward, nearly tearing into the controls in front of Brannigan, who yelped in surprise.

As the Doctor muttered about something or another, Brannigan threw a desperate look over his shoulder. Valerie decided to distract Jay, who was lifting her voice in an attempt to demand to know what the Doctor was doing, and promptly picked up one of her children and placed the kitten lovingly into Jay's arms, faltering only briefly when she saw the black veins surrounding the heavy scar on her arm.

Jay sputtered, suddenly finding herself with a kitten she could barely hold. She stared at it, blue eyes wide - and immediately wanted to keep it for the rest of her life, because it _was_ pretty damn cute-

No! She had to focus.

She kept her eyes on the Doctor as he spoke into a radio, "I need to talk to the police."

 _"Thank you for your call,"_ the computer answered in a bland, flavorless voice. _"You have been placed on hold."_

"But you're the police!" he cried, exasperated by the device.

 _"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."_

The Doctor ran a hand desperately through his hair, turning his face to Brannigan. His face was full of distress, his dark eyes flickering uncertainly. "Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan...any way of getting through to him?" Brannigan snorted, making a smart comment that Jay didn't catch, and the Doctor pleaded, "I've got to find my friend."

"You can't make outside calls," Valerie said gently, giving her husband a sharp look. "The motorway is completely enclosed."

"What about other cars?" Jay suggested.

"Brilliant!" the Doctor declared, turning back to Brannigan after throwing her a quick grin. "What about the other cars?"

"We've got contact with them, yeah," Brannigan said slowly, thoughtfully. He reached for the radio, messing with it a little, and Jay snached the oxygen mask from her mouth and nose, losing patience with it. The kitten in her arms mewled. Jay chuckled and rubbed behind its ear with a soft coo before focusing. "Some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list, you see...who's nearby? Ah, the Cassini sisters!"

One tap and there was a loud groan from two people when Brannigan greeted, "Still your hearts, my handsome girls, Brannigan here."

The first of the two, snipped furiously. "Get off the line, Brannigan! You're a pest and a menace."

"Oh, come now, sisters," he soothed, "is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

She shrieked, "We're not sisters, we're married!"

Brannigan made a face, and Jay, still cradling the kitten, joined them despite Valerie's protest. The Doctor eyed the kitten when it mewled in his ear as Jay leaned over him to peer at the radio herself. "Stop that modern talk, I'm an old-fashioned cat," Brannigan said calmly. "Now, I've got a hijacker here. Calls himself the Doctor."

"Hello," the Doctor cut in before the women could make a retort. "Sorry to interrupt, we're looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked."

Jay added with a soft pleading voice, "She's inside one of these vehicles, but we don't know which one. Please. Please help us."

The first woman softened at the sound of a young voice and the second kindly cried,. "Of course, my dear!" The Doctor exchanged an excited look with Jay, nodding his approval. "Could I ask what entrance they used?"

"Where were we?" the Doctor questioned to Brannigan, who shrugged and said, "Pharmacy Town."

"Pharmacy Town," Jay told the elderly women, her body shivering with impatience. "About twenty minutes ago, ma'am."

"Aw, aren't you a dear," the woman crooned, clicking her tongue happily as she spoke to Jay. Jay flushed when the Doctor gave her an amused look, as if entertained that she was practically flirting with an old woman to get her to do what they needed her to do. "What's your name, love?"

"Jay," Jay answered into the device Brannigan suddenly handed her, and then added, "Please, tell us what you can."

"I'm working on it, Jay...here we are!" There was a trill of triumph. "In the last half hour, there've been fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction." She paused, and Jay heard the rustling of paper over the intercom. After a moment, she asked, "Was she carjacked by two people?"

"Yes," Jay confirmed. "She was, yes."

"There we are," the woman said, condient. "Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane - that means they had three on board. And the car number is four-six-five-diamond-six."

"That's it!" the Doctor declared. "That's it. So how do we find them?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm afraid that I can't help with that," the woman said apologetically. "You could try the police." When the Doctor explained that they'd tried and been put on hold, the woman said, "You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else."

Resting his head briefly against the radio, the Doctor rasped, "Thank you." He ended the connection, returning the device to Brannigan, and then lifted his head again, running a hand through his hair as he questioned Brannigan, "Can we call them on this thing? We've got their number."

"Not if they're designated fast lane, it's a different class." Brannigan gave him an apologetic look and then faced forward to make sure he didn't miss anything regarding traffic.

"So take us down to the fast lane then," Jay said sharply, shifting the kitten in her arms. "We've got three passengers. Please, she's alone and she's lost. We're not from this planet, sir, please take us down."

Brannigan looked guilty, even as he muttered, "Not in a million years. I'm not risking the children down there." He cast a fond glance at his child, the one in Jay's arms, and then scowled when the Doctor demanded, "Why not? What's the risk? What happens down there?"

"We're not discussing it," Valerie said coldly, taking her child back. She lovingly placed the kitten in the basket with its siblings. "The conversation is closed."

Irritably, the Doctor said, "So we just keep on driving."

"Yes, we do, until the journey's end," Brannigan said confidently, and the Doctor shook his head. This wouldn't work. Jay was in agreement, and she leaned in as he snatched back the device from Brannigan. Brannigan squawked in annoyance, and the Doctor ignored him. "Hello, Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor again. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

The first of the pair, the woman who had snapped at Brannigan, responded with surprise, "Oh, we were amongst the first. It's been twenty-three years now, hasn't it, May?"

"Why, I believe it has, Alice," May agreed, her voice full of surprise.

"And in all that time," the Doctor said slowly, "have you ever seen a police car?"

"I...I'm not sure," May said with surprise, and then filled the radio with rustling as she searched through various papers. "My notes...not as such. No police cars. Nor has there ever been ambulances or rescue services...anything official, never." Hastily, she added defensively, "I can't keep a note of everything."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cassini and Mrs. Cassini," Jay called, quickly silencing the radio. She didn't want those poor old women caught up in the Doctor's sudden temper, which had come on when Brannigan snatched the device back. He was glaring at Brannigan, and she hesitated. She'd known the man for such a short amount of time. Did she really have any right to try and calm him down? But she did so anyways, saying gently, "Doctor, they were trying to help."

"I'm not angry with them," he reassured, his voice still thick with the emotion. "But someone's got to ask these questions. What if there's no one out there, huh?" He looked to Brannigan, who looked suddenly irritable. "Because you might not talk about it, but it's there in your eyes. What if this traffic jam never stops?"

"Stop it," Brannigan huffed, glaring. "There's a whole city above us. The mighty city state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us."

"Then where are they?" the Doctor challenged. "What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping...forever."

"Shut up," Valerie burst out, her eyes blazing with desperation, "just shut up!"

"Doctor," Jay murmured, grabbing his shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. She didn't like the idea either. The way he was saying it made her stomach churn with terror. "Stop. Don't take it out on them, either. We'll figure it out...right?"

He took a deep breath, his shoulder heaving beneath her touch, and before he could answer, a new voice popped up. Both pulled back to peer at the screen that was in the vehicle. A woman had appeared, her face smiling. Yet, Jay took notice of the darkness in her eyes - something no one else seemed to notice. _"This is Sally Calypso,"_ she said brightly. _"The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation. This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe."_

A song came to life, filling their ears, and as Valerie tended to her children and Brannigan kept his eyes ahead, they joined in, singing softly to the words. Neither the Doctor nor Jay sang, too, but distantly, Jay thought she might hear other cars joining in. It made her heart ache, thinking about how many people must be trapped on this motorway.

"Doctor," Jay whispered, not liking the look that suddenly appeared in his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"If they won't take us," he said slowly, "I'll go down on my own." Without prompting, he whirled around and nudged past her, reaching for a trapdoor that resided within the floor of the car. He paused to look back at Jay, contemplating. Finally, he said, "How likely are you to stay here if I tell you to?" She glared at him, shaking her numbed wrists, and he grimaced. "Right. Nope. Alright, then we're finding our own way. Hope you don't mind. Something I usually do."

He removed his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, preparing to open the capsule door. He took a deep breath when it was open and then shrugged his trench coat off, throwing it at the startled Valerie. "Look after this. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat."

"But...but you can't jump!" she cried, horrified.

The Doctor merely rolled his eyes and then told Jay, "I'll jump first, then you jump down. I'll make sure you don't fall. Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she said, deadly serious, and then grimaced as he let himself drop through the hole in the floor. A moment later, there was a loud thud and he called her name, indicating for her to follow. Jay swung her legs over, pausing when Brannigan suddenly spoke.

"This Martha...she must mean an awful lot to you two."

"Hardly know her," Jay said with a shrug. "As far as I know, she just joined up with him and they picked me up a few hours ago." She wiggled her fingers. "Bye!" And then, she was falling. Air whooshed past her, and she felt her stomach drop with fear. But then she hit the roof of another vehicle, and the Doctor snagged her arm when she tripped.

"Alright?" he questioned, dropping to sonic the hatch beneath their feet open.

She sputtered, covering her nose and mouth, tears all ready streaming from her burning eyes. "Yes! Sort of."

They dropped into the next vehicle, and continued doing this, encountering a wheezing sickly man, two young women who looked shocked when the Doctor paused to tie a bandana around his face and ordered Jay to do so as well, musing that blue wasn't his color, and then through a nudist's vehicle. Jay squawked at that one, horrified, and he rushed to get through it quickly.

It took them quite some time and by the time the Doctor slid into a final car, coughing heavily and lifting his arms to help Jay down before slamming it shut, they were both covered in smoggy sweat, exhausted. Jay was struggling to breathe, wheezing for air, and could barely feel her arms up through the elbow. Beside her, the Doctor made sure she was okay and the man of the car they occupied suddenly sputtered, straightening a bowler hat and his suit, "Excuse me, is that legal?"

"Sorry," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Motorway Foot Patrol. Whatever." He paused, and then coughed heavily, grimacing when Jay struggled to drag in air beside him. Her throat was thick from the fumes, and he rasped, "Got any water?"

"Certainly." The man rushed to get them some, muttering under his breath, "Never let it be said I've lost my manners!" He filled some small paper cups with water, handing one to each of them. The Doctor tipped his head back to drink it all in one go while Jay was more cautious about it, sipping gingerly after ripping the bandana from her mouth.

As she caught her breath, the Doctor questioned, setting aside the paper cup, "Is this the last layer?"

"We're right at the bottom," he was told, the man gesturing to the space beneath them as if they could see it. His face, plump and a little white from anxiety as the Doctor knelt before the hatch on the bottom of the vehicle. "Nothing below us but the fast lane."

"Can we drive down?" Jay rasped, still trying to clear her throat. Sympathetic, the man fetched her a second cup of water and she smiled weakly, shaking her wrists as he offered it. "Thanks." The Doctor eyed the shaking thoughtfully, but said nothing.

"Well, I'd love to," he said honestly, "but it's an automated system. We need permission, even with three adults. The wheel would lock, and I apologize, but I don't...please don't make me go down there."

The Doctor opened his mouth, as if preparing to order him down anyways, but Jay reassured with a glare in his direction, "We...won't make you."

Huffing, the Doctor began to open the hatch. "Excuse me, then, I'll just-"

"Don't jump!" the man cried in horror, looking ready to drag him back and club him even if necessary. "It's a thousand feet down."

"I know," he reassured, peering down into the depths below. "I just want to look...what's that noise?" he added when a loud growling sound filled the area. Jay shivered, reminded of the monster that had imprisoned her for who knew how long. The man stammered, refusing to give a straight answer and basically confirming that he didn't know, and the Doctor squinted. "Jay, can you see those lights? What's down there? I can't see, if I could just see past this exhaust…"

Jay knelt beside him, keeping a white knuckled grip on the Doctor's arm when she leaned over to look. He gently gripped her numbed arm to help her keep her balance. "I see them," she confirmed, "but I don't know what they are, Doctor."

"There must be some sort of ventilation," he muttered, speaking to himself now. "If I could just...transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze…" Without prompting, he threw himself at the panel of controls, and Jay ripped back from the open hatch with a shudder. The man in the bowler hat knelt beside her to peer out himself. "Jay, watch out for anything and tell me what you say!"

"On it," she promised, not taking her eyes off of the depths below as she leaned hesitantly back over the hatch.

There was a few moments of silence as the Doctor worked, and then he suddenly cursed as something sparked, shocking hi a little. But Jay took notice of the fumes shifting, just a little. But it was enough to give her a good look. Jay gasped, and the Doctor demanded, "What do you see?"

"Shapes," she breathed. She lifted her head to give him a worried look. "Giant claws. Doctor, what are they?"

He dove for the open hatch, peering out just as the smog began to cloud his vision again. His expression became grim. "Macra. They used to be the scourge of this galaxy. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and making them mine gas for food."

The owner of the car they'd invaded pointed out, "They don't look like empire builders to me."

"That was billions of years ago," the Doctor explained, climbing to his feet. He ran a hand through his hair, nudging the hatch shut now that he knew what they were dealing with. "They must have devolved down the years. Just beasts, now. But they're still hungry."

"And Martha's down there," Jay breathed in horror, not wanting to think about her friend getting crushed between those strong claws. She shivered, and then jumped when there was a loud clang from the top of the car. All three peered up, and the owner groaned when the hatch was yanked open.

"It's like New Times Square in here," he grumbled. "For God's sake!"

"I've invented a sport," the Doctor told Jay, who rolled her eyes as he flashed her a brief, faint grin. Someone dropped in, and he became serious. "

"Doctor," the feminine voice of the person greeted. She straightened, her eyes gleaming in the dim lighting. "You're a hard man to find." Jay tensed at the sight of a gun in her hand, and she took notice, peering curiously at her. "Don't worry. I only brought this in case of pirates. Doctor," she continued, addressing him. He didn't move. "You've got to come with me."

"Do I know you?" He didn't bother to move any closer to her, and Jay blinked when she realized this woman was like Brannigan. A cat-person! How many were running around, she wondered?

"You haven't aged at all," she said softly, amused. "Time has been less kind with me."

The Doctor looked her up and down, thinking back through every person he'd met that matched her description. And then realization smacked him in the face. "Novice Hame!" he cried, and then became suspicious, sweeping Jay out of her range. He planted her beside the man who owned the vehicle, keeping a light grip on her wrist. "No, hold on, get off of here. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

Jay shivered at the thought. A company much like her father's had been exposed for such things recently, and she remembered the pictures that had been displayed on the news. Entirely unpleasant.

"I've sought forgiveness," Hame said softly, coaxingly. "For so many years, Doctor, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself." She looked abnormally calm despite the fact that the Doctor was glaring suspiciously at her, and Jay allowed herself to forgo the preconceptions the Doctor had of her to study her for the first time in her own light, even as the Doctor launched into a rant about how he wasn't going anywhere, because there were Macra living under the city and they're friend was alive.

Jay could see the sorrow in Hame's eyes, the plea in her face. The softness of it, the exhaustion from doing something for so long, the lines left from fear. She could hear the sorrow that seemed to come off of her in waves, and even as Jay tried to shake the numbness from her arms, shaking the Doctor off in the process, she knew that this cat-woman was a good person.

Ignoring the Doctor's protest, she said, "Doctor, we should do what she says. Look at her." She gestured to Hame. "There's something we don't know. This...this is only the beginning."

Hame looked at her in surprise, but was pleased. "You are a smart one," she noted, nodding. "It is as she says, Doctor, the situation is worse than you can imagine." She turned to face Jay, trusting that this girl would be smarter than the Time Lord. "May I?"

"Jay," the Doctor said sharply, but she ignored him and placed her hand in Hame's. She shot him a look, leaving him exasperated. She would go with Hame, even if he chose not to, and snarling under his breath, the Doctor allowed Hame to grab his wrist. She looked relieved and gave the order.

"Teleport."

They vanished, in a simple beam of light, leaving the poor vehicle owner to stare in bewilderment at the suddenly empty vehicle.

* * *

Between one moment in the next, Jay found herself thrown quite painfully onto a hard floor strewn with trash. She shrieked when she landed harshly on her arm with the scar, sending tingles spiraling through her body. She forced herself to still, waiting for them to fade as she stared at the black veins that pulsed from it. She didn't dare move when they continued, not daring to send them further-

Distantly, she heard the Doctor groan a protest about a rough teleport before ordering Hame to start teleporting people out - starting with Martha. But Hame said sympathetically that she'd only had power for the one trip, perhaps two if Jay had not been present. Jay took a deep breath, trying to catch it, but it seemed to be struggling to come.

"Then we get some more!" the Doctor cried, his voice coming closer as he kicked trash aside while striding for her. "Where are we, anyways?"

"High above, in the over-city," Hame explained, hurrying over as well.

"Good, because you can tell the Senate of New New York that the Doctor would like a word. They've got thousands of people trapped on that motorway. Millions!" A pause, and then he demanded, "Jay? Where are you? Are there lights, I can't see you."

Just like that, lights sprang into view above their head. Jay blinked as she slowly lifted her head, still not trying to move even the slightest. Her face went ashen white when she saw skeletons around her, just as the Doctor bent to help her up. He was crouched before her, troubled. "Alright?"

"Not really," she admitted, finally making herself move but only when the tingles were gone. He helped her up, gripping her forearms and frowning when her fingers slid, struggling to get a grip. "I can't feel my arms," she admitted, shaking them. She paused, then corrected herself, "Well, I can, but...they're like pins and needles. Like they fell asleep." The Doctor's expression darkened with concern, but she chose to direct his attention to something more important. "Doctor, the Senate. They're dead."

He snapped his head around, taking in the skeletons they were surrounded by as he kept a grip on Jay helping her over some thick wires to where Hame stood, looking mournful. "How long?" he demanded, his gaze sorrowful as he took in one in particular. "Everyone? What happened?"

"Twenty four years ago," Hame said quietly, sighing softly, "a new chemical - a new mood - was created. They called it 'bliss'. Everyone tried it, they couldn't stop themselves. Then, a virus mutated within the compound and became airborne. Everything perished...even the virus in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor."

"They were saved," Jay realized, breathless. "Those poor people...they have no idea." She stepped away from the Doctor, slowly spinning in a circle - and stopped as she caught sight of something they'd not seen before: a glass containment, with a massive head contained within it. He watched them tiredly, weakly. She stepped away, stumbling a little when those pins and needles shot through her feet, in awe of the powerful, regal face. "Oh," she murmured.

"There's not enough power to get them out," Hame admitted, looking unhappy about it as she spoke. She looked over the skeletons unhappily, not seeming to notice what Jay had seen.. "We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"We?" The Doctor turned to face her entirely, startled. "How did you survive?"

Hame turned to face him, and then smiled broadly when she saw that Jay had found who she was speaking of. Gesturing, she said, "He protected me. And he has waited for you these long years."

The Doctor spun on his heel, and was startled to find Jay knelt before a familiar face he'd come across several times before.

 _Doctor,_ he greeted, and Jay jumped as his voice echoed through the air. She was even more shocked when in a softer tone, he murmured, _Jaybird. I knew you would come._

"The Face of Boe," the Doctor breathed, rushing over to join Jay before the glass. His eyes were rounded with surprise and delight at the sight of an old friend.

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sin," Hame explained as she joined them, and the Doctor glanced back at her, looking much more relaxed.

"Old friend," he murmured, resting a hand on the glass, "what happened to you?"

 _Failing._

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke, but with nobody to maintain it...the city's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea." Hame looked to the Face of Boe with a woeful look. She fidgeted with paw-like hands, looking back to the Doctor desperately. "The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But...but there are planets out there," Jay whispered, looking to her desperately. "Surely you could have called for help. If you can colonize other worlds, surely you can do that much!"

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe," Hame said gently, immediately understanding the lack of experience about the human woman. "The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years. It was the two of us, on our own for all these years. We had no choice."

The Doctor swallowed thickly, looking to the Face of Boe again and running his fingers over the glass. "Yes, you did," he murmured, and then looked distressed when the Face of Boe spoke pleadingly even as he was dying.

 _Save them, Doctor. Save them._

* * *

Within minutes, the Doctor was working furiously to do as the Face of Boe asked, his eyes blazing with determination as he studied a computer screen he was struggling to get working through black frames perched on his nose. "Car four-six-five diamond six...it still registers!" This was thrown over his shoulder to Jay, who was struggling to figure out what she was needed to do. "That's Martha!"

"I knew she was good," Jay said excitedly. "What do you need me to do?"

"Stand there for now," he ordered and then whirled back around. "Think, think… Ha! Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity grid!"

Exasperated, and holding some wires in place for the Doctor, Hame cried, "There isn't enough power, Doctor!"

"Oh, you've got power. You've got me." A cocky smirk flashed over the Doctor's features. "Just you watch. Jay!" He glanced back at her again, gaze firm. "Switch every switch on that bank up to maximum! I can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people."

"Right!" Jay lunged for the switches that he'd mentioned, doing as he said. She ripped them all up, ignoring the pain in her fingers. It was getting worse, she noticed, even as she said nothing about it. "Done! What now?"

"This!"

The Doctor dramatically threw a big switch up - only for the lights to snap out around them. Jay yelped in fear and surprise, but the Doctor only began to shot in protest, cursing under his breath. "No, no, no!" He threw himself at Hame and the wires, investigating even as Hame flinched away in surprise. "The transformers are blocked, the signal can't get through-

 _Doctor_.

The Doctor ignored him, giving off more ranting outside of a hasty, "Hold on, not now."

So, the Face of Boe chose to address the human girl who looked across the room at him, eyes wide. _Jaybird,_ he said weakly, with surprising fierceness, _I give you my last._

And just like that, the power was back. The lights sprang to life, and the computer came back on. The Doctor ran for it, shouting, "Hame! Go look after him! Don't you go dying on me, you big old face, you've got to see this! The open road!" He gave Jay a wild grin that she couldn't help but laugh at. "Ha!"

He grabbed a small device, much like that of the radio they'd spoken into earlier that day, and Jay began picking her way over to him even as Hame flew to the Face of Boe's side. Speaking hastily, he grinned, aware that the computer was broadcasting his face to the monitors in all of the vehicles. "Sorry, folks, no Sally Calypso, she was just hologram. My name's the Doctor, and this is an order. Drive up, right now! I've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on, throttle those engines. Drive up, all of you, the whole under-city! Fast!"

Jay smiled broadly, excited. He'd done it! She snatched the device from his head, ordering gleefully, "Martha! Martha, drive up!" She tried not to think of what the other woman must have seen in her time in the fast lane, only relieved that the other human was alive. She pressed it back into the Doctor's hands, flushing when he chuckled. "Shut up."

Lifting the device back to his mouth, he added, eyes twinkling, "You keep driving, Brannigan, all the way up. Because it's here, waiting for you. The city of New New York, and it's yours. And don't forget! I want that coat back."

The Doctor pressed the device in Jay's hand, ordering quietly, "Hold that up for me, I need to send a flight path to Martha…" Jay did as he said, keeping it up to his mouth for him as he bent over the computer and began typing furiously. When he was done, he said, "Car four-six-five-diamond-six, I've sent you a flight path Come to the Senate."

"Doctor!"

The pair looked over in time to see a crack shoot across the Face of Boe's glass, and Jay's face when white. She abandoned the device she'd been holding, scampering across the room with the Doctor not even a step behind. She wondered what people who'd been watching them thought.

Jay hit the ground on her knees in front of the Face of Boe just as the glass shattered. "Oh, no," she breathed, watching as the Face of Boe awkwardly seemed to slide from his position. Hame rushed to help him so that he didn't get hurt. She ignored the pain of glass in her knees as she rested a hand on the Face of Boe's cheek.

The Doctor knelt beside her, looking sorrowful.

They remained like this for a few minutes before there was a call of "Doctor? Jay?"

"Over here," he called back quietly.

"Doctor!" Martha appeared and Jay looked up with a faint smile, relieved to see her. But she could feel tears gathering in her eyes as Martha slowly approached, shocked. "What happened here?" She paused when she saw the Face of Boe, her face falling. "What's that?"

"It's the Face of Boe," he explained, smiling briefly at her. "It's alright, Martha, come and say hello. And this is Hame, she's a cat. Don't worry." Martha hesitantly joined them all at his reassurance, her eyes locked on the Face of Boe. "He's the one that saved you, not us."

Sniffling, Hame said softly, "He gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying."

"No, don't say that," Jay breathed, upset for reasons she didn't understand. She was crying, she realized, tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn't know this creature, this Face of Boe. Yet she was grieving for him before he was even dead. "He'll...he'll be okay. Right, Doctor? Right?"

He didn't answer, instead listening in silence as the Face of Boe breathed, _It's good to breathe the air once more._

"Who is he?" Martha asked, tilting her head. Her face was still damp with sweat, her hands shaking from the stress of the situation she'd been placed in. Jay could tell she'd have nightmares. She couldn't blame her; they'd both have nightmares.

"I don't even know," the Doctor admitted. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years, isn't that right?" His face softened with affection for the creature before him. "And you're not about to give up now."

 _Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most,_ the Face of Boe breathed.

"The legend says more," Hame said, her eyes suddenly lifting to lock on the Doctor. The Doctor tried to protest, but he was cut off by her. "It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller."

"Not yet," the Doctor said firmly, shaking his head. "Who needs secrets, eh?"

The Face of Boe breathed a heavy breath. _I have seen so much...perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor._

"That's why we have to survive," he murmured, leaning forward to touch the Face of Boe's cheek, just as Jay had done. "Both of us. Please don't go."

 _I must. But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone. Farewell, Doctor._

As the Face of Boe let out a final breath, Jay thought she might have heard, _Farewell, Jaybird._

* * *

Jay had a lot to think about as the Doctor paced through Pharmacy Town, leaving her to stand beside a fairly exhausted Martha, promising that he'd be back for the pair of women. She watched him weave through the alleyway, leaning slightly into a wall as her mind replayed the conversation he'd had with Hame after the cat-woman had recovered enough from the death of the Face of Boe to speak with them.

A quick examination of Jay's injuries and symptoms had turned up with grim news. _"You will be hard-pressed to find anyone who would know what this is,"_ she'd told the Doctor, Jay, and Martha, her voice thick with grief. _"I know not what this...poison will do. It could kill, it could maim...I am uncertain. I am sorry, Doctor, that I am unable to help after what you did for this city."_

They'd left not long after, the Doctor leaving to examine Pharmacy Town after telling Jay gently that she could either tag along with he and Martha or go home since they were uncertain of what would happen regarding her condition as of now. She had until he was done to make the decision.

It didn't take nearly as long to make it.

"Pharmacy Town is all closed down," he reported as he came back, hands pushed into the pockets of his coat.

"Happy?" Martha said drily.

"Happy," he confirmed. The Doctor flashed them a broad grin. "New New York can start again, and they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs." He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Cats in charge." He turned his face towards Jay. "So. Jay O'Connors." He rolled the name on his tongue playfully, and she focused on what he was saying with a serious expression, making him grin. "What will it be?"

"I'm coming with you, of course," she huffed. "As if I'd go back home."

Even the somewhat cranky Martha laughed at her. "Welcome aboard," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Anyways, back off to the TARDIS. There's some beautiful meadows in a planet a few galaxies over, full of gorgeous sunlight-"

Before he could go anywhere, however, Martha looked him in the eye and settled down onto the pavement beneath them, arms crossed. Jay looked down at her, confused. "Are...are you staying here?"

"Until he talks to me properly, yes." Martha's gaze didn't leave the Doctor. "He said last of your kind. The Face of Boe, I mean. What does that mean?" The Doctor stiffened and claimed it didn't matter, but she said irritably, "You don't talk. You never say, Doctor. Why not?"

Jay, not wanting to be a part of this argument, and figuring she'd find out what she was prying from the Doctor soon enough, Jay wandered a short distance away, listening intently. Distantly, she could hear the song of the TARDIS, calling for them, but over that…

"The city," she breathed, hearing its citizens singing. "They're singing."

Beneath the sunlight of New Earth, Jay smiled and closed her eyes, listening.

* * *

 _It was fun writing this. Love the Face of Boe._

 _And I decided to update a day after I did the first time 'cause why not._

 _Thanks to those who favorited and followed! I appreciate it a lot!_


	3. Daleks in Manhattan

Despite the urge to spring immediately into the next trip - that meadow that had been promised, or another surprise location - Jay declared that if she didn't eat - and soon - she was likely to die of starvation. And she hadn't slept properly in who knew how long. So, playfully protesting and not meaning a word of it, the Doctor escorted she and Martha into the halls of the TARDIS, muttering under his breath.

"Martha, for you," he said pointing to one door after rounding a corner. "That's a guest bedroom. Nice to have one for situations like this. Jay, that one's your room," he continued, gesturing to one right across the hall. "Closets are fully stocked by the TARDIS, each have a bathroom, and the kitchen is just around the corner. Go get cleaned up. I'll whip up some quick snacks, and then we can all get a few hours' rest."

"I don't think," Martha admitted, "that I want to try your cooking."

He looked mildly offended. "Oi!" he cried, "I cook just fine, thank you!"

Jay giggled a little and then wandered over to her room, pushing the door open as the TARDIS crooned its song softly in her ears, not nearly as loud as it usually was. It was reassuring, comforting. She liked it and wondered if Martha just couldn't hear it at all.

The room was beautiful, with wooden floors in comparison to the usual grating within the rest of the ship and dove-gray walls. A wooden bedframe stood pressed to one wall with simple white covers and pillows thrown on top, and a matching wooden wardrobe stood off in a corner rather than a closet. Off to Jay's right stood a bookcase made of the same mahogany wood, and her eyes filled with excited delight when she saw endless books filling it, all interesting looking and none she'd ever read. A simple chair was beside it, a lamp placed directly behind the chair to provide light for whenever she wanted to read. Nearby was a desk, only lacking a computer but full of everything else.

Curious, Jay went to the wardrobe and pulled it open, not bothering to close the door to her room. She studied the clothes within, a little nervous about some of the simple dresses and other such clothes within. She knew not how to dress in most of these. She hoped Martha would be willing to help. The shoes, neatly lined up in the wardrobe, were just as concerning, but Jay was proud to say she knew how to put the jewelry within a stand in the bathroom on.

Humming, Jay grabbed clothes similar to the ones she wore and took a quick shower. She was out in no time, priding himself on how she was able to know to pull the shirt over her head. She ran her fingers through her damp blonde hair, not bothering to brush it. It was short enough to not need it, just barely brushing along her jaw. She'd style it properly later; that, at least, she could do.

Relieved to no longer smell like exhaust fumes, Jay made her way out of her room and to tracked the kitchen down with the help of the TARDIS, which grew louder when she moved away, and reduced the trip to a mere two seconds. She smiled and quietly thanked the TARDIS as she entered the kitchen.

It was much smaller than any kitchen she'd ever been in. But much nicer, too, as the Doctor was whirling around at work while he and Martha, who had beat Jay there, chatted about where they might go next. Martha had coaxed him out of the idea of the meadows he'd mentioned, for a reason Jay didn't know of. Why wouldn't they go to some meadows on another planet?

"How about…" The Doctor paused in what he was doing, thinking it over. "Ah, perfect, I know where we're going." His eyes glittered with excitement.

"Where?" Jay asked, dropping to sit beside Martha. Martha flashed her a quick smile in greeting, and Jay returned it warmly before looking back to the Doctor as he slapped plates of hot food in front of them. Jay was puzzled by how he'd made that so quickly, as she really hadn't been in the shower that long, but…

She wasn't complaining.

Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, even some kind of hash along with tea that Martha was in the middle of making at the table that was centered in the middle of the kitchen. All of this made Jay's mouth fill with saliva and she wanted to lunge for it. They didn't look as gorgeous as the food she remembered being back home, but they certainly smelled just as delightful. If there had been one thing she enjoyed from her life back home, it had been food - even when her mother had quipped about her weight and size when she tried to eat more, cutting her off before she was ready.

The Doctor laughed. "Dig in," he said invitingly and Jay didn't hesitate, nearly inhaling the eggs.

Grinning, Martha took a bite of her own food. "Breakfast for supper...not a bad idea. Don't eat too quickly," she warned Jay, noting how she, for whatever reason they knew nothing about, seemed to be struggling to keep a good grip on her fork. She elbowed the Doctor a little, jabbing his arm and nodding to indicate what she was looking at.

The Doctor, mid-sip of tea, glanced up. Following her gaze, he quickly put his teacup down and asked, "How are your arms?"

Jay hastily chewed and swallowed, then admitted, "Not too good." She shook the hand not holding the fork, and then said with squinted eyes, "I can feel them. Well, my fingertips are a little numb, but I can feel my arms. It just...hurts, like when your foot falls asleep, which is also feeling the same." She scowled and touched just beneath her shoulder joint. "It stops here. And at my hips, coming from the legs. It's...it's moving up."

"I hope it doesn't do anything too bad when it spreads completely," Martha murmured, setting her fork down with a worried face.

"We won't know until it has," Jay admitted, shrugging. She knew she should probably be more concerned about it. But...why bother when there was nothing she could do about it now? Why bother when they didn't know what would happen? Sure the black veins were ugly and horrible to look at, but…

She wasn't too entirely upset, if this was how life had turned out. If she had ended up with these two people, happier than she could ever remember being...that was okay.

Jay continued to shove food down her throat as quickly as she could despite Martha's protest, and by the time she was done with her meal, the Doctor and Martha had barely even finished one part of it. Content, Jay settled down in her seat, feeling drowsy as she sipped at the tea.

She quietly listened to the Doctor and Martha chatter about nothing in particular, exchanging stories. Jay listened when the Doctor launched into a tale about a previous trip he'd taken, in which a spaceship had failed and clockwork creatures had focused their attention into the life of a French mistress, even punching "holes" in the universe to get to her. He seemed to leave out a great deal of it, even Jay could tell, and there was sadness in his eyes just as there was excitement.

When the other two had finished their meal, Jay cracked a massive yawn, eyes drooping, and announced, "I'm...going to go and get some sleep. If that's alright?" She looked between them, as if seeking permission, and Martha blinked.

"Sure," she said after a moment. She paused, and then added almost gently, "You don't have to ask if you want to do something. Go ahead and do it. We won't yell at you."

"Unless it's dangerous," the Doctor said quite seriously, a twinkle in his gaze. "Don't do it if it's dangerous."

"Well, I don't think going to sleep is dangerous, so... okay." Jay hopped ot her feet, and then paused. "You'll wake me up before we leave for wherever we're going now?"

"Definitely," Martha vowed. "But if you wake up before me, you better do the same."

Jay beamed at her. She liked Martha; the other woman was friendly, with a bit of attitude that sometimes spiked up. It was a nice change of pace from people who looked at her as a pawn, as if she wasn't a real person. The Doctor was great, too, just as excited about everything as they were - perhaps even more as he whisked them around.

"Night!" she called, not knowing if that was truly the time of day, but not caring either way.

The other two watched her go with amused expressions, saying "good night" before she'd disappeared around the corner. The second she was gone, the Doctor lost his happy expression, replacing it with a grim scowl. Martha glanced at him, lifting her cup to her lips. "What?"

"Nothing," he muttered, grabbing his own cup of tea.

"Nothing at all."

* * *

After a good amount of rest, the trio of travelers regrouped in the control room and then stepped outside of the TARDIS. Jay, dressed in a fresh set of clothes and feeling much more human than she had previously, looked around in wonder, breathing in deeply. The air was chilly and the breeze tinted with salt, and she smiled broadly as she recognized the beautiful smell, blue eyes darting over her shoulder when Martha asked, "Where are we?"

"Ah," the Doctor said, flashing Jay a teasing grin as he inhaled deeply. "Smell that Atlantic breeze, nice and cold. Lovely." Without looking behind him, he gestured over his shoulder. "Martha, have you met my friend? Jay, I'm sure you have."

Jay didn't need to look to know that they were settled beneath the Statue of Liberty, which, even in her time, stood tall and proud. Jay laughed in delight, whirling around to look at the gorgeous statue. Martha was in shock, sputtering. Laughing, Jay gripped her arm lightly and said eagerly, "Gorgeous, right?"

"Gateway to the New World," the Doctor crowed as he sauntered away from the TARDIS and down the slight slope, looking. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Martha was grinning madly, looking beyond delighted with the choice in location. "I've always wanted to go to New York!" She paused, then added, "I mean the real New York, not...whatever that other one was."

Jay looked out across the water that surrounded the small island and found herself stunned. "It's so _small_ ," she said, looking to the Doctor for an explanation. There was so much less, no skyscrapers that disappeared behind the clouds, no cars zipping through the air, and there was no spread into the ocean, shortening the distance between the city and the Lady Liberty so that she stood amongst the buildings.

"I wonder what year it is," Martha mused, cocking her head. She pointed to a certain section of city, indicating a half-built building as she added, "I mean, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet."

Jay squealed, clapping her hands like a child who'd been given a delightful Christmas gift. "I've never seen it before! It was torn down ages ago, mostly because it was starting to collapse."

Martha looked horrified by Jay's words, and the Doctor laughed as he watched her wander around, seeking something to tell them the date. "Work in progress," he told Martha, smiling brightly. "Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around-"

"First of November, 1930," Martha declared, cutting him off. She'd found a newspaper that had been abandoned on a bench, and when she looked up from the paper, she looked quite smug. He pouted. He _liked_ surprising his companions with the times and places. But she only continued. "Eighty years ago...it's funny, because you see all those old newsreels all in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's...now."

Jay shifted back and forth almost impatiently, wanting to wander the streets. She liked the early 2000s, as they'd been fascinating in her history books, particularly New York, but the twentieth century was something else entirely.

The Doctor peered over Martha's shoulder at the newspaper as Martha turned her head to call over her shoulder to Jay, "Hey! Where do you want to go first? Empire State, even though it's not done?"

"I think," the Doctor said, tapping the newspaper, "we need to make a detour first."

Curious, Jay hurried over to look over Martha's shoulder and read aloud as Martha dropped her gaze to it, "'Hooverville Mystery Deepens,'" she recited, puzzled. She looked up at the Doctor, who was looking out at the city again with a thoughtful expression. "What's...What's a Hooverville?"

* * *

After moving the TARDIS quickly to the actual city, the trio made their way through the city. Martha and Jay more so followed the Doctor than wandered with him as he lead them to where he was determined to go. "Herbert Hoover," he was explaining as they walked, "thirty-first President of the United States of America. Came to power a year ago. Up til' then, New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties…"

Jay raked her mind for information, but was coming up blank. She'd really not cared for history before the 2000s, outside of a moment in which she dabbled in the history of World War II and III… Martha, on the other hand, said, "Then there was the Wall Street Crash, right? 1929?"

The Doctor grinned proudly at her and confirmed her suggestion with anod. "Whole economy was wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed and all of a sudden, the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So, they ended up in Central Park."

"Hooverville," Jay realized. Not a what, but a place. "They lived in the park, in the middle of the city."

The Doctor nodded, throwing her an approving nod because that's what he'd been about to say. "Ordinary people lost their jobs, couldn't pay the rent...they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. No one's helping them. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go."

Jay thought about her time, scanning her brain, and admitted, "There's places like this back where I'm from." Martha turned a shocked look on her, but Jay had looked off, not pleased about it. "In the future, there's...class lines. You're either wealthy, or you're not. I was wealthy. Others weren't. And...they both have their ups and downs, I suppose, but if you helped those who needed it, you were cast out of society, claimed to be an outcast. It's not pleasant."

They stopped at the outskirts of the very place they were talking about. Jay looked saddened by the horrid place, and how children shuffled by with hungry expressions, their arms far bonier than they should have been. Nearby, a fight broke out over a stolen loaf of bread and Jay jumped when the voices were raised, startling her. The three time travelers watched curiously as a man, looking concerned, broke the fight up, cutting in with ease.

Studying him, Jay cocked her head. He was older, with salt and pepper hair and dark skin, his face creased with wrinkles. His clothing was raggedy, but still held together fairly well, and he held an air of authority that told her before he even spoke who he was.

"That's enough!" he shouted over the noise, and they broke apart, glaring at one another. "Now," he said when they were done, his eyes blazing, "think real careful before you decide to lie to me." He turned his gaze on the man to his right. "Did you take it?"

The man looked down at his feet, pressing his lips together. "I'm starving, Solomon."

The man, Solomon, held out a hand, softening his expression. "We all starving," he murmured sympathetically as the man handed over a loaf of bread. "We all got families somewhere." He broke the loaf in half and then gave one to each of the men. The original owner looked unhappy, but accepted it. "No stealing, no fighting. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago, a lot of us fought in the Great War, and the only reason we got through was because we stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still need to act like human beings. It's all we got. Ya got me?"

They exchanged an unhappy look before leaving and Jay pressed her fingers over her lips in thought. "The Great War…" she murmured, and then glanced at Martha. "World War I, yes?"

Martha nodded slowly, and the Doctor glanced at them before urging for them to follow. Stepping up to Solomon, who watched after the two men with worried looks, he greeted cheerfully, "I suppose that makes you the boss around here?"

Solomon turned his face towards them and blinked before studying them warily. Sensing that he might not be so willing to respond to the Doctor, Martha piped up, smiling in a friendly manner. "He's the Doctor. She's Jay. I'm Martha."

"A doctor, huh?" Solomon murmured, focusing on that for a moment. "Well, we got stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor." He snorted softly, folding his arms. "Neighborhood gets classier by the day."

The Doctor furrowed his brow unhappily at that, and Jay knew that he didn't like how many people lived in this situation, homeless and hungry. "How many people live here?" she asked softly.

Solomon looked to her and smiled faintly, but warmly. He knew instinctively that this woman had not experienced much hardship in the world. "At any one time, hundreds." She looked shocked - horrified. "No place else to go, miss. But I will say this about Hooverville." Pride colored his tone now, and he grinned. "We are a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same. All starving. So you're welcome - all of you." Turning to the Doctor, he asked, "You're a man of learning right? Explain this to me." His expression darkened and he gestured to the half-built Empire State. "That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, when we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

The Doctor studied him for a few moments. "I don't know," he said quietly, and Martha and Jay exchanged anxious looks between one another. After an awkward few seconds, he suddenly demanded, "So, men are going missing. Is this true?"

Solomon took on a grim expression and nodded, muttering, "It's true alright." He looked around and then gestured. "This way."

They followed him through Hooverville, aware that some curious looks were sent their way. Jay wrapped her arms around herself at a few particularly interested looks that were thrown at her and Martha, who glared in response, as if not appreciating them. Jay was relieved when the glare turned the attention away.

Solomon didn't say anything about the matter of the missing men as they entered a tent - his, he explained briefly. He swept them all in and then dropped to sit on a crate, gesturing for them all to sit on something or the ground. The Doctor remained standing, but Jay perched on the edge of another crate, scooting so she could share it with Martha. It creaked beneath their shared weight, but held firm.

When they were all settled, the Doctor asked, "What does 'missing' mean? Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register." His dark eyes were narrowed in thought, his hands shoved into his pockets as he shifted back onto his heels.

Solomon chuckled lowly. "Right into it, are you? This is different."

"In what way?" Martha questioned, leaning a little against Jay to alleviate some soreness that came from holding herself upright for so long. Jay didn't mind, even leaning back into her, too.

"Someone takes them, at night," Solomon explained, removing the hat he wore to run a hand over his head. "We hear something...someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone, like they vanished into thin air." He threw a hand up as if to explain in such a manner and Jay furrowed her brow.

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" she asked, trying to keep her tone polite and concerned instead of curious.

He glanced at she and Martha and said honestly, "When you got next to nothing, miss, you hold onto the little you got. Your knife...your blanket...you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten and a fire still burning."

Martha asked, "Have you been to the police?"

Solomon barked out a laugh, making them all jump. "Yeah, we tried that," he scoffed. "Another deadbeat goes missing. Big deal."

"So, the question is," the Doctor said, exchanging a look with his companions that spoke of his concern - and their's. "Who's taking them and what for?"

Solomon opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off when there was a cry of "Solomon!" They all looked over as someone popped their head in. The young man before them, perhaps not that much older than Jay, the blonde realized, smiled shyly at the young women before looking to his leader. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here," he said in a deeply accented voice.

"Mr. Diagoras?" Martha muttered into Jay's ear. "Who's that?"

"I don't know," Jay breathed back, "but let's find out!" She hopped to her feet and darted out of the tent without waiting for anyone else, startling the man who stood there. He was forced to jump back, and Jay merely flashed him a smile before sauntering towards where she could hear a man calling out. The one she'd gone past - Frank, he supplied upon her asking - caught up and paced just a step ahead to lead the way.

"Jay!" the Doctor called in exasperation from behind her, bolting after them with Martha and Solomon not a step behind them. "Honestly!"

She merely threw a smirk over her shoulder and came to a stop when they reached a crowd of people, all listening to a man who Jay believed to be Diagoras claim, "I've got a little work for you, and you sure like like you can use the money."

Despite having only just arrived, Frank lifted his voice beside Jay, shouting, "Yeah. What's the money?"

"A dollar a day," Diagoras responded.

Solomon narrowed his eyes a little as he came to stand beside Frank. "What's the work?"

"Honestly," the Doctor repeated as he leaned in to hiss in Jay's ear, "don't just run off when we're talking about missing people! You could disappear, too!"

Jay stuck her tongue out at him, gesturing to herself. "What on earth do you think I'm gonna do? I can barely feel my body at this point. I just want to see what's going on, this is all so fascinating!"

Martha, overhearing, touched her arm and whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, like I said, just...tingly." Jay turned her attention back onto the man at the head of the group. He'd said something, but Jay hadn't heard. Instead, she only heard Solomon snap aloud, "A dollar a day? That's slave wage! And men don't always come back up," he added, narrowing his eyes and challenging the man as he finished. "Do they."

"Accidents happen," Diagoras gritted out, scowling at Solomon. Turning his attention away, he demanded, "Anyone need the work?"

The Doctor debated for only a moment before shooting his hand into the air. "Oh, I'm volunteering," he offered. "I'll go."

Martha turned a dark look on him, and then Jay when she shot her own up, too. "I'm going to kill both for this," she grumbled before raising her own. Frank and Solomon weren't far behind, and Diagoras smirked at them, smug.

Jay had the feeling that he knew something they didn't, and she really didn't like it.

* * *

"Turn left," Diagoras instructed them a few hours later as he directed them through the sewers. They stood in an underground area, and Jay found herself standing close to Martha after being reminded of the corridors of the nightmare she'd dealt with for who knew how long. "Go about half a mile. Follow tunnel two-seven-three. Fall's right ahead of you, can't miss it."

Frank turned to look down the long tunnels before looking back at the man ordering them away. "And when do we get our dollar?"

"When you come back up."

"Well, isn't that just delightful," Jay muttered, then asked despite Martha hissing at her to _shut up_ , "And if we don't come back?"

Diagoras swept his eyes up and down her small form with a snicker that she didn't appreciate. Her gaze darkened into one that promised wrath if he kept it up and he lost the smirk, muttering, "Then I got nobody to pay." Jay stared at him mistrustfully as he turned to look at each of them one by one.

Solomon reached out to pat Jay's shoulder affectionately, coaxing her forward. "Don't worry, little one, we'll be back." He began to lead them down the world of cement with only a flashlight in hand, and with hesitation, Martha followed alongside Frank. The Doctor stared Diagoras down before following the rest of them.

"We just got to stick together," Frank was reassuring Martha, smiling brightly at her. She found herself smiling back, liking his friendly behavior. "It's easy to get lost. Like a huge rabbit warren down here. I bet you could even hide an army!"

Solomon snorted at that, and Martha asked, "So what about you, Frank? You're not form around these parts, are you?"

Frank laughed. "Oh, you could talk. No, I'm Tennessee, born and bred." His expression softened a little as he turned his face away, looking lost in thought. Love filled his eyes as he admitted, "My daddy died, and Mama...she couldn't afford to feed us all. So...I'm the oldest. up to me to feed myself. Put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over. Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Solomon keeps a lookout for us." He threw the older man a warm affectionate look. Jay dropped back to join them and smiled brightly, a smile that Frank returned willingly. "So, what about you two? You're a long way from home."

"We're hitchers, too," Martha mused, and then jumped when something clattered beside her. She'd tripped on an abandoned chunk of cement.

Laughing, Frank chuckled, "You stick with me. You'll be alright."

The Doctor gently nudged past them to join Solomon at the front, and they watched him in silence as he strode beside him, lowering his voice. "So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?"

"A couple of months ago," Solomon sighed, irritated by the mere mention of the name, "he was just another foreman. Now seems like he's running most of Manhattan." He shook his head, voice filling with agitation as he told the Doctor, "These are strange times, my friend. A man can go from being king to lowest of the low in moment. Just for some folks, guess it works the other way 'round."

"Lucky them," Jay mused, and then squealed in disgust and shock when she nearly stepped on something that, to her surprise, the Doctor and Solomon had missed. She took one look at it and seemed to practically climb up Martha in a panic, and Martha yelped, trying to keep her off while simultaneously looking over at the object of Jay's fear.

Solomon and the Doctor had whirled around at the first loud screech, and Frank was all ready bent over the luminous green blob that was lying on the ground before them. The Doctor bounded back to rejoin them, fascinated. "Ooh," he said cheerfully, "what do we have here?"

"I don't know," Jay squeaked, shaking out her arms to try and displace the violent pains that had suddenly spiked up them, "but _ugh_."

Smirking, Martha asked, "Is it radioactive or something?" She patted Jay's shoulder comfortingly, and Jay squirmed so that Martha stood between she and the blob. "It's gone off, whatever it is...and...you've got to pick it up," she added with a heavy sigh as the Doctor picked it up with his index finger and thumb, sniffing lightly as if that might help him determine what it was.

"Solomon," the Doctor requested, "some light?" Solomon shone the flashlight over it and the Doctor nodded to himself. "Composite organic matter...Martha? Medical opinion?"

She snorted. "Not human, I know that."

"No," he agreed. "It's not, and I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse in here. Do you? So why did Mr. Diagoras send us down here?" He shoved the blob into his pocket, not looking bothered as he swiped his hands on his trench coat. His face was wary, gaze darting this way and that now as if it would tell him answers that way.

"Where are we now?" Jay asked weakly, still not pleased with the blob that lay splattered on the ground now like some kind of...thing. "What lies above us?"

"Manhattan," the Doctor answered and then whirled on his heel to look around them as Solomon noted, "We're way beyond half a mile. There's no collapse, nothin'. He lied. Why?"

"Solomon," the Doctor said, "I think it's time you took these three back. I'll be much quicker on my own."

Martha and Jay began to protest but they fell silent when there was a loud squeal. Martha looked to Jay, who looked somewhat insulted by the unsaid remark on her face. "Wasn't me," she muttered, then jumped when Frank called out, "Hello?"

"Sh!" Martha hushed, slapping a hand over his mouth without care for what he thought of the action.

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" he protested, pulling her hand away. "You'd be scared and half-mad down here on your own." When the Doctor asked if he thought they were alive, Frank shrugged. "We ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."

The sound of more squeals filled their ears, and Solomon began to lok uneasy. "I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that, Frank."

"Where's it coming from?" Jay demanded, shifting away from Martha to step further into the tunnel curiously. Martha gave her a look of exasperation; hadn't she been terrified of the blob a moment before? Why was she trying to approach some strange sound? "It sounds like there's more than one…"

"This way," the Doctor said, looking in one direction, at the same time that Solomon shone his light on a figure that had been huddling in a corner and said, "That way."

"That way," the Doctor agreed after a long moment of staring. He looked delighted by the discovery, but Martha gave him a severe look that quieted down his excitement. This person was clearly terrified, and his overpowering cheer would scare them off.

"Are you lost?" Frank asked, carefully approaching the person in the darkness. "Can you understand me? I've been thinkin' that some folk might be lost down here…"

The Doctor was right behind him, softening his voice to help keep from scaring the person. He pushed his fingers into his pocket, and Jay noted the familiar glint of his sonic screwdriver as he pulled it out. She glared at him; he better not use it, the sound would scare anyone, not just someone who was frightened as it was. "It's alright, Frank, just stay back," he ordered. "Let me have a look. Doctor, remember?"

Martha and Jay exchanged a look and rolled their eyes. He was about as much an actual doctor as Jay.

"He's got a point though, my mate Frank," the Doctor continued, smiling brightly at the person, who'd fallen silent. "I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own, and we know the way out. Daylight. If you come with us." He paused, then added, "Solomon, bring that light over."

Solomon did as he said and they all blinked at the sight of a man who looked very much like a pig. Jay was distantly reminded of Hame and Brannigan, the cat-people she'd met, and stiffened a little. She didn't know much about the 1900s, but she was pretty damn sure that there were no pig-people running around.

"Is that...is that some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon demanded warily, not looking the least bit pleased by the sight of the pig-man.

"No," the Doctor answered, crouching a few feet away with wide, curious eyes. It reminded him, distantly, of the pig from the spaceship that had crashed into Big Ben when the Slitheen had nearly blown up the earth. He didn't look up as Jay suddenly made a nervous call of his title, having noticed that further into the tunnel, more pig-people were appearing. "I'm sorry. I promise we can help. Who did this to you?"

"Doctor!" This time it was Martha who spoke up, her face filled with fear. "I think you'd better get back here." He didn't look up, too tuned into the single pig-man before him.

" _Doctor_!" Jay shrieked, and his head snapped up at long last. His eyes locked on the several that were edging closer, and they froze.

"Right," he muttered, backing towards the group of humans after climbing to his feet. He nudged Jay back, for she'd been further ahead than the others with Frank. Frank kept pace with him as they backed up. The pig-men seemed to follow, and the Doctor pressed his lips together as he spun around and faced the four humans with him.

"They're following you," Martha said, not taking her eyes off of them. What had once been a sympathetic moment had become one of creeping fear, and Jay could feel Martha beginning to shake a little as she stepped up to her side.

The Doctor scowled a little, saying sarcastically, "I noticed that, thanks. Well then, Martha. Frank. Jay. Solomon." He smiled briefly, eyes glittering, and Martha gave him an exasperated "What?" Without looking back, he ordered, "Run!"

Martha and Jay jumped when he raced past them, practically diving for the spot in which he could see a ladder that would lead out of the tunnels and into the city. He called over his shoulder, "It's a ladder, this way!"

Frank pushed Solomon ahead of them, and Jay and Martha bolted after the Doctor behind the veteran, their eyes wide with fear. Jay heard the distant buzzing of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver after he'd scampered up the ladder, trying to open the top that protected the entrance into the tunnels. Solomon climbed up after him as the Doctor shoved the cover aside. "You next," Frank told Martha, grabbing a piece of iron that had broken off from the bottom of the ladder, whirling around to face the group of pig-men that had chased them.

Martha shot up the ladder hastily, and the Doctor grabbed the back of her jacket to haul her the rest of the way up. Jay waited a moment before gripping the ladder, beginning to ascend. The Doctor extended a hand and she grabbed it - just as pain snapped up her arm, spiraling through her chest. Her breath caught in her throat, and the pain only grew as she forced herself to scramble out of the way for Frank, collapsing onto the ground beside the panting Martha.

"Jay?" Martha asked faintly, shocked when the girl seemed to almost convulse before her.

Solomon and the Doctor reached down into the tunnel again, shouting for Frank. The Doctor snagged his hand, keeping a tight grip onto it and looking in horror as the pig-men latched onto his legs. "I've got you," he promised, "c'mon, Frank!"

But there was a cry and then Solomon shouted, "Frank!" He shoved the Doctor away from entrance with a despairing look, slamming the lid over the entrance and shoving it firmly into place. The Doctor looked stunned. "We can't go after him," he said evenly.

"We've got to go back down!" the Doctor cried, horrified. "We can just leave him!"

"No," Solomon snapped back. "I'm not losing anybody else. Those creatures were from...from Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all. There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

"Doctor!"

Martha's voice dragged his attention over. He spun around in time to see Martha lean over Jay, hands on her shoulders. Jay was clawing at her chest, mouth opening and closing as if she was struggling to breathe. He swore under his breath and scrambled over. Solomon leaned over to look with concern.

"Jay?" he called, trying to get her to respond.

Jay heard them all through muffled ears, her attention entirely focused on the fact that her chest was on fire. It felt as if each of her bones were being snapped one by one while simultaneously being slicked with the worst of acids. As if someone was carving out her heart and shredding it bit by bit, and she couldn't stop it. She couldn't breathe, couldn't see-

It went on for what seemed like ages but was only a few seconds. And then, quite suddenly, her vision slowly began to clear. The tendrils of agony began to slowly but surely recede from her body, returning to where it had rested initially in her fingertips and toes. When it left her chest, she drew in a strangled breath, the rasp desperate and pleading. A choked shriek left her mouth, followed by a sob, and Martha gasped in relief when, beneath her palm, Jay's heart started to stutter back to life, pumping blood weakly.

"Jay?" the Doctor repeated, leaning over her with his hands on either cheek. He saw her bleary blue eyes slowly shift, trying to find his face and connect the sound to it. "Jay, can you hear us?"

Another choked sound left her, a barely intelligible, " _Hurts_."

"What's wrong with her?" Solomon demanded, eyes wide with shock.

"Don't know," Martha admitted, checking Jay's pulse. It was slowly but surely strengthening. "Doctor, do you know-"

"No," he admitted. "The poison, maybe." He patted Jay's cheek, coaxing her to breathe again in a low voice, and she sucked down another breath. Before long, she was shivering weakly, her face caked in drying tears and her lips parted as she shallowly gasped for breath. "Jay?"

Finally, she whispered, "I hear you."

"Are you alright?" Martha fretted, her eyes round with concern. "You were suddenly...you just-"

She was cut off by the click of a gun's safety, and the Doctor snapped his gaze up in time to see a young woman step from behind a clothing rack - were they in a closet? She narrowed her dark eyes, her blonde hair curled delicately around her cheeks. Her face held traces of make-up and her slim hands shook as she pointed the gun at them, saying in a heavily accented voice, "All right, then. Put them up. Hands in the air and no funny business."

Martha slowly moved, reluctant as Jay tried to sit up, heading struggling to turn to see what was going on. The woman furrowed her brow, but didn't lower the gun. "I said," she seethed, "put them up!"

The Doctor, sitting back, lifted his hands slowly, and Solomon did the same. Martha copied with reluctance. Jay, still struggling, gave up and just lay there, too exhausted. "Look," he began but was cut off when the woman snarled, "What have you done with Laszlo?" They gave her an incredulous look. Did she think _they_ knew where this man was? "Laszlo's my boyfriend. Or, _was_ my boyfriend until he disappeared two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, no nothing. And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Laszlo. I mean, what kind of guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

"Yeah," the Doctor said slowly, eyes locked on the gun. He hated guns. Why did everyone in the universe seem to like to point them at him? "Er, it might just help if you put that down."

"Huh?" She looked confused, and then blinked. "Oh, sure. Come on, it's not _real._ Just a prop. It was either that or a spear." She tossed the gun over her shoulder without a care and everyone relaxed immensely. Martha glanced back at Jay, who had closed her eyes, deciding now was the best time for a nap.

The Doctor, too, turned his attention back onto their friend. "Jay, are you alright now?" he asked kindly.

Without opening her eyes, she rasped, "Sort of. Just...tired."

Martha patted her shoulder and then asked the woman, "What do you think happened to your boyfriend?"

She sighed heavily. "I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip! Vanished. The name's Tallulah, by the way. Three 'l's' and an 'h'."

"...right." The Doctor smiled briefly and then said, "We can try to find Laszlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night." He glanced over his shoulder at the silent Solomon, pleading to them both, "Listen, just...trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is." Out of nowhere, he snatched the blob from the tunnels out of his pocket and held it up. Martha wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

"Well," Tallulah said uncertainty, eyeing him anxiously, "Do whatever you need to, I s'pose...is your friend okay?"

"Not really," Jay said weakly, prying her eyes open.

Sympathetic, Tallulah suggested, "I don't know what you're doing, but you can bring her into my dressing room. She can rest while I get ready for my show."

"That would be great," Martha said with relief. "Thank you."

"I'll get her," Solomon offered, crouching. He grimaced when his joints popped upon bending to scoop up the girl. He looked startled by her weightlessness, but said nothing about it as he turned his face to Tallulah. Jay was all ready half-unconscious by the time Tallulah had led Solomon and Martha to her dressing room, leaving the Doctor to do whatever he saw fit. After depositing Jay gently onto a cushioned seat, Solomon smiled briefly and then went to help the Doctor, thoughtful.

Tallulah dropped into a seat before a mirror and a counter littered with makeup and other such things. Her dark eyes curiously darted from Jay to Martha to the door to the prop room, where they could hear the Doctor messing around. She'd missed company backstage. Her heart twisting, she said sadly when Martha turned to her, "Laszlo would wait for me after the show. Walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rosebud."

Martha gave her a deeply sympathetic look, rocking onto her heels and folding her arms tightly over her chest. "Haven't you reported him missing?"

"Sure," Tallulah said with a sigh, "but he's just a stagehand. Who cares? Management certainly don't."

From where she was blearily listening, Jay rasped, "Can't you make a fuss?"

"Then they fire me."

"But...they'd listen to you." Jay squirmed to sit up a little despite Martha ordering her to lay back down and get some rest, doctor's orders. She locked her tired blue eyes onto Tallulah. "You're one of the stars of the show if you have a place like this, aren't you?."

Tallulah sighed, "Oh, honey, I got one song in a back street revenue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle." She paused, and then added hastily, throwing them a warning glare, "Which had nothing to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, I'm in Hooverville."

"Okay," Martha reassured, pressing her lips together. "We get it." She looked incredibly unhappy about it.

"It's the Depression, sweeties," Tallulah said honestly, smiling despairingly at them. "Your heart might break, but the show goes on, because if it stops, you starve. Every night, I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep going, and hope he's going to come back." Her eyes welled with tears that she hastily brushed away and Jay murmured a soft apology before resting her head back down, deciding to take Martha's advice.

* * *

Much too soon, Jay was gently shaken awake by Martha, who was giving her an amused look. Grumbling, Jay muttered, "What?"

Chuckling, Martha said, "Showtime. Tallulah wants to show us the stage. Want to come?"

"I guess." Jay slowly sat up, her body trembling simply from the soreness in its muscles. "I'll need some help though."

"Sure." Martha helped her to her feet and together, the two followed the waiting Tallulah, who looked entirely different from what Jay recalled her looking like now that she was dressed up for her performance. Jay peered curiously at the costume, but said nothing, merely trailed along with Martha wrapping an arm around her waist to help her along.

"Come on, honey," Tallulah cooed, smiling brightly at Jay. "Take a look. Either of you ever been on stage before?"

"No," Jay said, eyes wide at the sight of the massive stage with its brilliant lights.

Laughing, Martha said, "Oh, a little bit. You know, Shakespeare."

Jay turned a puzzled look on her; did she mean the actual Shakespeare or a presentation, because with the Doctor around...she was willing to bet it was more than likely the prior suggestion rather than the later.

"How dull is _that_?" Tallulah said, making a face. "Come and see a real show!"

With the curtains closed, the women - for there were others, all dressed in red - bustled onto the stage. Tallulah winked at Martha and Jay, and then hurried into place on stage, to. Jay and Martha watched from the curtains, exchanging curious looks. _"Ladies and gentlemen,"_ a voice cried from nowhere,and they heard the audience, chatting up until that moment, quiet, _"The Laurenzi! Dancing devils, with Heaven and Hell!"_

A moment later, the curtains slid open and all of the women put on their best smiles. Jay found herself watching in awe as they slid aside to reveal Tallulah, carefully moving in coordinated movements, and Tallulah's voice filled the air, singing loudly and clearly. "Oh, wow," Jay breathed, yawning. "She's good."

"Yes, she is," Martha agreed and then suddenly stiffened. "Jay!" she gasped, pointing at the wings on the opposite side of the stage. Jay followed her gaze and blinked; a pig-man was watching from the other side of the stage. "I'm going after it," Martha said, serious.

"That's not a good idea, not now," Jay protested, trying to grip Martha's arm as she tried to stop the other woman. But she couldn't keep a good grip on her, and she watched in distress as Martha began to sneak across stage. Jay watched, ready to spring across stage to help Martha if need be.

Before long, chaos began to occur. Martha did something that resulted in a woman falling, and the woman wailed in complaint as the audience began to laugh. Tallulah looked horrified. Jay could hear Tallulah pleading for Martha to get off the stage, but all it took was one jab of Martha's finger for Tallulah to scream. The chaos complete, Jay tore across the stage after Martha just as she ran after the pig-man, who fled.

"Wait!" Jay cried, catching up to her friend. She grabbed her arm, legs nearly buckling from exhaustion.

Martha ignored her, calling out to the pig-man, "But you're different, just wait!" But there was a clang, signaling it was gone, disappearing into the sewer entrance that both women found themselves before. Jay blinked. This was the prop room they'd come out of, she noticed, swallowing thickly. Distantly, she overheard people shouting as the women likely left the stage, furious.

"Martha," Jay started, gripping her arm a second time. "Let's go find-"

She cut off with a loud scream when something suddenly grabbed her around the waist, lifting her clear off the ground. Martha whipped around and then screamed herself when she, too, was snatched up by a second pig-man that had been hiding in the shadows. Both women fought furiously to free themselves but to no avail.

For a few moments before the Doctor shot into the room with Tallulah hot on his heels, they were dragged down into the sewers.

* * *

The Doctor took one look at the opened sewer entrance in the prop room and took on a grim expression. Frustrated, because both Martha and Jay had disappeared - likely dragged into the sewers, he was willing to bet, he grimly fixed his coat. Aware of Tallulah behind him, he said, "They've taken them."

"Who's taken them?" Tallulah demanded irritably, not liking the fact that he was being so confusing at the moment. "What're you doing?" He didn't respond, merely used his foot to nudge aside the lid and begin to descend into the sewers. She watched him go, shouting, "I said, what the hell are you doing?"

The Doctor was scanning the tunnels with his sonic screwdriver when, a moment later, Tallulah came skittering down the ladder behind him, a fur coat dragged onto her. She scowled at him when he said warningly, "No, no, no, no way. You're not coming."

"Tell me what's going on!" she snapped.

"There's nothing you can do, go back," the Doctor tried again, exasperated. He didn't have time for this! Martha and Jay were gone!

"Look," she said with exaggerated patience, "whoever's taken Martha and Jay, they could've taken my Laszlo, couldn't they?" When he didn't deny it, merely saying she wasn't safe, she snapped, "Then that's my problem. Come on. Which way?"

Sighing, the Doctor gave up. "This way," he muttered, and she willingly followed him.

They walked through the sewers for a while. As they stepped around a corner, Tallulah could no longer keep her silence and asked, "When you say 'they've taken her,' who's they exactly? And who are you anyway? I never asked." The Doctor shushed her. "Okay, okay," she grumbled. "I just mean, you're handsome and all, but-"

The Doctor cut her off by slapping a hand over her mouth and yanking her back into an alcove. His hearts skipped a beat in his chest, his face paling when he saw the shadow on the wall. That shadow moved and before long, became a metal creature that rolled past, not taking notice of them. The Doctor felt dread in his chest, horrified as he realized just who was behind everything.

"No," he groaned, voice croaking. "No, no, no...they survived. They always survive while I lose _everything_."

Lowering her voice, Tallulah murmured, "That metal thing? What was it?"

The Doctor clenched his teeth, running a hand through his hair and scowling. "It's called a Dalek. And it's not just metal, it's alive." He looked nearly feral as he bared his teeth in the direction it'd gone. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't also a Dalek. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."

Rather than questioning if he was serious as she'd almost done, Tallulah sputtered, "Well, if it's not human, that kind of implies it's from outer space. If it's from outer space, what's it doing here in New York?"

"Good question," he admitted. The Doctor spun on his heel suddenly giving Tallulah a severe look. "Every second you're down here, you're in danger. I'm taking you back right now-"

Tallulah screaming and pointing behind him cut him off and he spun around, ready to protect the innocent, well-intending human woman. He was relieved to discover a simple, _single_ pig-man leaning to peer around a corner at them. It scurried back, trying to hide, but the Doctor went after it. He needed answers. _Now_ , especially with the Daleks involved. Jay and Martha could be in serious danger, and he didn't have time to run around.

"Where's Martha? And Jay?" he demanded, following it. "What have you done with them? What have you done with Jay and Martha?"

He was a little surprised when the pig-man said faintly, "I didn't take them."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes and asked, "Can you remember your name?"

"Don't look at me," he pleaded, turning away so that he was facing the other direction, and the Doctor merely looked over when Tallulah pleaded for the pig-man to tell them where the girls were. "Stay back!" the pig-man cried. "Don't look at me."

"What did they do to you?" the Doctor asked, softening his tone. Clearly, this pig-man was different then the rest.

"They made me a monster." The Doctor peered at him, waiting for further explanation. "The masters."

"The Daleks," he muttered in recognition before asking, "Why?"

"They needed slaves," the pig-man managed to mumble, looking upset. "They needed slaves to steal more people, so they created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late for my face."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said sincerely. And he was. This man had not deserved anything that had happened to him. "Do you know what happened to my friends? Martha and Jay?"

"They took them," he admitted apologetically. "it's my fault. They were following me."

Tallulah blinked. Speaking up again at last, she said, "You were the one in the theater. The one in the wings." The pig-man nodded hesitantly. "Why? Why were you there?"

"I never wanted you to see me like this," the pig-man told her, voice breaking a little.

"Why me?" Tallulah demanded in shock, even as the Doctor's face filled with understanding and then sympathy for both of them. "What do I got to do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?"

"Yes," the pig-man admitted, finally turning back around. He looked near tears as he looked to Tallulah. "I'm sorry. I was lonely...I needed to see you. I'm _sorry_."

Tallulah reached out, her voice rising in distress as she breathed, "No, wait, let me look...Laszlo?" He flinched when she said the name. "Oh, my Laszlo," she whispered, crooning his name with tears in her eyes as she reached out to touch his face, even as he pulled back. "Oh, what have they done to you?"

Cutting in because no matter how sympathetic he felt, he had no time for this, the Doctor asked, "Laszlo, can you show me where they are?" Laszlo shook his head, telling him that they'd kill him, but the Doctor insisted. "If I don't stop them, they'll kill everyone."

With a grim look and heavy sigh, Laszlo said, "Follow me."

* * *

From the moment they were in the tunnels, Martha was fighting like a wildcat. Jay just let them carry her after a few moments of struggling, too tired to put up a good fight. Before she knew it, she was pushed roughly into a wall. Martha hit the wall beside her, and then they were shoved into a line of people that was going past, silently told to follow.

Martha rubbed her arms, but did as she was told, even wrapping an arm around Jay's shoulder to help her along when she stumbled. "I've got you," she murmured, worried. She really wished Jay hadn't come running after her.

"Martha," a voice whispered from behind her, nearly scaring the daylights out of her.

"Frank!" She snapped her head around. "You're alive! I thought we'd lost you."

He flashed her a weak smile, and then winced as he was shoved. "We're going, we're going," he snapped, moving forward. The pig-men didn't seem to care if they spoke, a reassurance to Martha. So long as they were walking. "Where are they taking us?" Frank finally asked.

"I don't know," Martha admitted. "But we can finally find out what's going on down here, right, Jay?"

"Right," she rasped. "So long as I can say awake. I think I'm going to pass out."

"Don't do that," Frank muttered, shaking his head hastily. "Do you know what they're keeping us here for?"

"No," Jay rasped, taking a shaken breath. "But I've got the feeling that were going to find out," she added when the pig-men around them began to get incredibly anxious, shifting and making soft sounds. Her blue eyes scanned the dim caverns, seeking answers. "Martha, can you see?"

"No," Martha muttered, and then jolted in surprise when a voice unlike anything they'd ever had ordered, "Silence! Silence!"

"What the hell," Jay whispered, "is _that_?"

"You will form a line," it continued, and the people around them shivered, terrified as a metal creature rolled past. Jay took in its appearance, eyes wide. It was terrifying despite being almost comical in looks, with bronzed plating, an eye-stalk, and two little metal arms that each looked as if they did something different.

Martha lifted her voice when no one said or did anything, trembling a little. "Just do what it says, okay?" Surely the Doctor would appear soon. This was his kind of ordeal, after all. "Just obey!"

"The female is wise," the creature said blankly, voice somewhat screechy. "Obey."

"Report!" Martha stiffened when a second one appeared, ordering the first to speak.

"These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause."

"Dalek?" Jay breathed, looking to Martha. Martha had helped her to stand between she and Frank, ordering her to keep a gentle grip on the back of Frank's shirt so that she'd be able to walk without falling. Frank didn't mind, even glancing back to check on her every now and then. "What's a Dalek?" It rang in her mind, that word. Familiar, yet not.

"I don't know, these things apparently," Martha muttered, clenching her jaw.

"What is the status of the Final Experiment?" one Dalek demanded.

"The Dalekanium is in place. "The energy conductor is now complete."

"Then I will extract prisoners for selection." Jay, Martha, and Frank stiffened as a pig-man hauled an older man forward. His face was full of confusion and fear. Jay felt horrible for him. She wanted to help him. But she doubted there was anything they could do for him with these Daleks around. "Intelligence scan," the Dalek declared. "Initiate!" It placed one of the metal arms, this one with a suction cup of sorts on the end, against the man's face. "Reading brain waves. Low intelligence."

The man sputtered furiously. "You calling me stupid?"

"Silence!" the Dalek screeched and Jay flinched at the loud sound in her ears. "This one will become a pig slave. Next." It turned and wheeled its way to the next person as the man was dragged away screaming. "Intelligence scan. Initiate."

This continued for a short while, each man - for Martha and Jay found themselves the only women in the group - being scanned. Some were dragged away like the first man. Others were left alone. Eventually the Dalek reached Frank, scanning him and declaring him to have superior intelligence.

Jay stiffened when it turned to scan her. "Intelligence scan," it screeched just as it did with every human. "Initiate." Jay shivered in fear when it suddenly screeched additionally, breaking the pattern it had formed, "Abnormal traces found!" It gave a high-pitched shriek that hurt Jay's ears and she pressed her back to the wall with a whimper. Martha's gaze darkened. "Superior intelligence!"

And then, it didn't move. Its eyestalk seemed to shift a little, and Jay decided it was likely taking note of which human she was before sending her off to whoever knows where. But then it moved on, performing an intelligence scan on Martha and marking her as superior. "This one will become part of the Final Experiment," it added.

"You can't just experiment on people," Martha protested against better judgement. "It's insane! Inhumane!"

The Dalek didn't seem the least bit concerned. "We are not human. Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory."

Shaking, Jay clutched Martha's hand. "Martha, the poison-"

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen," Martha said furiously, squeezing her hand. The Dalek ordered them forwards and Jay kept a tight grip on Martha's hand as they started forward. Jay caught sight of movement in the corner of her eye that was out of place, and a moment later, when she looked over her shoulder, she was separated from Martha by none other than the Doctor. He'd slid between them, and Jay looked beyond relieved at the sight of him. He chuckled softly and whispered to keep going. A pig-man who Jay could immediately tell was different from the others paced alongside them.

"I'm so glad to see you," she quietly called over her shoulder.

The Doctor chuckled as Martha agreed. "Yes, well, you can both kiss me later. Frank can, too, if he wants."

The Daleks didn't seem to realize that two newcomers had appeared. As they walked, Jay heard Martha murmuring explanations of what they'd seen so far to the Doctor in his ear, making sure to point out that they'd noticed the difference in Jay from the rest of them. Before long, they reached a massive space that looked very much like laboratories Jay had seen in story books. She swallowed thickly as they were lined up within the room, her eyes wide as she took notice of more Daleks.

The Doctor muttered a curse under his breath, clearly not liking this.

"Report!" the Dalek who'd scanned them screeched.

A Dalek who seemed to be somewhat different from the others said in a voice that was a little deeper, but just as odd, "Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution."

"Evolution?" the Doctor questioned, curious. Daleks didn't _evolve_. They remained as Daleks. Never changing, always determined that they were the superior race that didn't need evolution.

"What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?" Martha asked, leaning in to mutter the words to the Doctor. She nodded towards a strange spot in the room that made them all uncomfortable. A Dalek with black casing was smoking, looking like it would spontaneously combust.

"Ask them," was his response. She looked horrified by the idea. "I don't exactly want to get noticed," the Doctor admitted. "Ask them what's going on."

When Martha still refused, Jay spoke up, voicing shaking but firm. "Daleks, we demand to be told. What is this...this Final Experiment? Report!"

The Doctor touched her arm in comfort, approval in his gaze as the Dalek who'd scanned them responded, "You will bear witness."

"To what?" Jay questioned.

"This is the dawn of a new age. We are the only four Daleks in existence," the Dalek said, shocking her with its willingness to do so, "so the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again." Just as it finished speaking, the smoking Dalek changed. The smoke stopped coming and the casing opened as the eye-stalk went blank. They all watched in shock as something struggled to escape the casing, and when it did, Jay's breath hitched in her throat.

It looked like a cross between a human and some kind of octopus creature. It had one eye, and odd lumpy hands. Tentacles seemed to have sprouted from its head, a brain-like top of its head completing the appearance. Jay recognized the suit it wore, and her stomach twisted. No more Mr. Diagoras. She barely noticed when the Doctor slid away from the rest of them, hiding behind some equipment when he took notice of pig-men approaching.

Before she could ask what it was, the creature spoke, voice ringing out.

"I am a human Dalek. I am your future."

* * *

 _Daleks! Love the Daleks. They're lovely. And we finally see what that slime/poison does. ;) Hope you enjoyed!_

 _Thanks to those who favorited and followed! No reviews, but I appreciate you lovelies just as much. ;)_


	4. Evolution of the Daleks

_I am a human Dalek. I am your future._

The words rang out in Jay's mind as she stared at the alien before her, her hands shaking with fear. Martha grabbed her arm, just as startled and as frightened as she suddenly found herself, because what the hell did he mean their future? The answer came a moment later when the Dalek ordered, "These humans will become like me. Prepare them for hybridization."

Pig-men appeared from behind them, and Martha began to scream at them to leave her be. She kept a tight grip on Jay's hand when they reached for the blonde, trying to protect her from their clutches.

 _"Happy days are here again. The skies above are clear again, so let's sing a song of cheer again. Happy days are here again."_

Everything stilled as the music filled the air, confusing the puzzled Daleks. One spun around, eye-stalk searching. The human-Dalek-hybrid looked puzzled. "What is that sound?" he demanded.

"Ah, well," the Doctor said cheerfully, holding a hand-held radio as he stepped out from behind some machinery. His brown eyes twinkled as he sent Martha and Jay a wink. They exchanged shocked looks. When had he…? "That would be me." He set the radio down and then sauntered over to the hybrid. "Hello. Surprise. Boo." He smirked a little, rocking onto his heels with his fingers shoved into his pockets.

"Doctor," the hybrid seethed, recognizing him.

Another Dalek screeched, "The enemy of the Daleks."

"Exterminate!" another screamed.

"Wait!" the hybrid ordered, eye never leaving the Doctor. The other Daleks faltered. If they'd had faces, Jay was sure they would have looked surprised.

"Well then," the Doctor hummed. He began to circle the hybrid curiously. "A new form of Dalek...fascinating and very clever."

The hybrid spoke with an icy tone, clearly disliking the Time Lord. "The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter."

"How did you end up in 1930?"

"Emergency temporal shift."

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells," the Doctor said wisely, nodding as if he understood. Then again, Jay was sure he did, and she and Martha were the confused ones. "Thing is, four Daleks could have conquered the world. Instead, you're skulking away, hidden in the dark. Experimenting. All of which results in…you." He gestured to the hybrid.

"What's he doing?" Martha breathed, and Jay gripped her hand tighter.

"Trying to figure out what they're up to, and buy some time, maybe," she murmured.

"I am Dalek in human form," the hybrid said stiffly.

"What does it feel like?" the Doctor challenged. "You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It _is_ Dalek Sec, right? That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own." He was fascinated. He wondered if they could _feel_ , truly _feel_ , like this. "Tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I feel humanity," Dalek Sec answered evenly, not once taking his gaze off of him.

"Good, that's good," the Doctor mused, nodding to himself.

Dalek Sec seemed to grow excited, however. "I feel everything we wanted from mankind. Ambition, hatred, aggression...war. Such a _genius_ for war. Everything this species is...it's so very Dalek."

Not what the Doctor had wanted. "That's not what humanity means." He glanced briefly to the group of humans, scanning them to make sure his companions were okay. They looked terrified. "So what have you achieved then, with this Final Experiment?" He wrapped his fingers lightly around the sonic screwdriver. "Nothing! Because I can show you what you're missing with…" He sauntered past Dalek Sec to tap the radio he'd abandoned, smirking. "This! A simple little radio."

A Dalek moved a little, wary. "What is the purpose of that device?" it demanded.

"Well, exactly," the Doctor said proudly, throwing a firm look over at where Jay and Martha stood, hand in hand. Martha's grip tightened on her, and she inclined her head. She knew that he was about to do something that might be incredibly stupid, but useful. "It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, _music_. You can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it." He ignored the memories that washed over him. He remembered so much about Rose when it came to music. "Unless, of course, you're a Dalek. Then it's all just noise." He grinned.

And promptly aimed his sonic screwdriver at the radio, which began to emit a screeching sound that had the Daleks, Dalek Sec, and the pig-men screaming and panicking, the sound hurting their ears.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted, not moving.

The humans didn't have to be told twice. Most of them bolted, encouraged along by Frank. Only Martha and Jay faltered, waiting for him, and they began running the second he did, coaxing them along. Jay stumbled a few times, and the Doctor found himself worried that she'd have another fit, but she kept up. He urged them all forwards, quickly taking the lead. When they came across a lost Tallulah, who he wanted to throttle for still being there, the Doctor shouted, "And you, Tallulah, run!"

She faltered. "But what's happened to Laszlo?" Tallulah demanded, then squawked as Martha grabbed her wrist, dragging her along without waiting for her permission.

It didn't take them long to find the ladder that led to the prop room, and when they did, the Doctor ordered them all up, sending Jay up first to make sure she was safe in case another moment of agony struck her. All of the others went up next, followed by Tallulah, then Frank, then Martha, then himself. The Doctor slammed the lid over the top the second they were free, locking it into place with his sonic screwdriver.

Jay and Martha heaved for air. Beside them, Frank hovered, eyes wide. The Doctor caught his breath, exchanging a grim look with his friends. Martha and Jay looked shocked, and Jay trembled as she climbed to her feet. Frank offered her his arm to use to keep her balance. Jay willingly took it. "What do we do?" she breathed, eyes wide.

"We need to go to Hooverville," Frank answered, determined. "Solomon needs to know. It's our people being taken."

"Hooverville," the Doctor agreed.

He regretted leaving the TARDIS such a far distance away immensely.

* * *

"These Daleks," Solomon said slowly, "sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they want to breed?"

"They're splicing themselves onto human bodies," the Doctor answered patiently, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Jay and Martha were still where he'd left them. They stood only a step behind with Frank. "If I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. You've gotta get them all out. Everyone. Evacuate."

They'd run from where Tallulah's showplace was to Hooverville from the second they'd escaped the tunnels, accompanied by quite a few people that had been trapped with them. They needed to _move_. The Daleks, knowing the Doctor was around, would be getting to work on killing soon, and he would _not_ let that happen.

"Hooverville's the lowest place for a man to fall. There's nowhere else to go," Solomon said grimly.

Jay stepped forward. Her trembling had stopped since they'd arrived. She'd been given a chance to somewhat recover from whatever her attack had been about. "I'm sorry," she said honestly, "but you can't stay here. Scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, I believe they're called. Just get out of this state."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things," Solomon protested, looking to Martha and Frank as if they would help him.

But they shook their heads. "There's not a chance," the ever-helpful Frank told him gently. "You ain't seen 'em, boss."

The Doctor cut in again, gratefully glancing at the three. Had he not been content with two companions on the TARDIS, he may have invited Frank along, too. Smart person, with a good heart. "Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but right now they're vulnerable." His expression darkened. "That makes them even more dangerous."

A sudden shout filled the air, making them all pause. "They're coming!" a man screamed, waving his arms and blowing a whistle. "They're coming! I've seen them! Monsters, they're monsters!"

Solomon swore softly under his breath. "A sentry, must have seen 'em."

"It's started," the Doctor said, turning to face Jay and Martha. "Stay close."

They nodded, exchanging anxious looks. This was _not_ going to end well. In a whisper, Jay asked Martha, "Are...do you think he can ever go look at something without trouble showing up?"

Martha shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest." She bit her lip as Solomon began to shout for everyone to arm themselves. As the chaos overwhelmed the area, Jay grabbed the Doctor's arm to make sure that they weren't shoved away from he and Solomon by the crowds. The Doctor barely noticed. He watched sadly as people began to run - only to be caught by pig-men that emerged from the darkness, grabbing them.

Martha looked firm as she said, "We need to get out of the park."

"We can't," the Doctor said, nodding towards their left, in which there were others coming. "They're on all sides. They're driving everyone back towards us."

From where she was huddling nearby, Tallulah whimpered. "We're trapped!"

"Then we stand together," Solomon declared, eyes blazing. "Gather 'round!" he ordered aloud. "Everybody come to me! You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together! Keep the women and children safe. They can't take us all!"

Martha kept a tight grip on Jay as people began to bustle about, doing as they were told. The Doctor stood amongst the terrified group with a grim expression, and Jay jumped a foot in the air when a gunshot went off, followed by several more. Martha gasped, "If we can just...just hold them off til' daylight-"

"Oh, Martha," the Doctor said, looking up. "They're just the foot soldiers."

Martha's gaze snapped up and her face filled with horror. Jay clutched her hand tightly as a Dalek appeared, flying through the sky. Something told Martha that this was normal for them. "Oh, my God."

"What in the hell-" Solomon began to say.

"It's a devil, a devil in the sky!" another man shrieked, terrified. "God save us all! It's damnation!"

Frank stepped around Solomon, furious and holding a shotgun. He lifted it to his shoulder. "We'll see about that," he snarled, firing the gun. The Doctor shook his head, only watching as the bullet ricocheted. That would never work against the Daleks.

"There's more of them!" Jay cried, pointing as a second appeared, firing something from its metal arm. A tent nearby blew up and Jay found herself crying out in alarm. The Doctor pushed her and Martha's heads down, covering them protectively.

"The humans will surrender," the new Dalek ordered, its voice screechy and monotone. The first began to move its eyestalk around, locking it on the Doctor when he stepped forward.

"Leave them alone," the Doctor snapped, bristling. He pushed Martha and Jay towards Solomon. He knew how these creatures worked, and if it came down to it, he'd put his life on the line for these people. All of them. Not just his friends. "They've done nothing to you!"

"We have located the Doctor," the first Dalek screeched.

Solomon watched this and then stepped forward, expression darkening. "Solomon," Jay protested as he stepped forward, his gaze hardening with determination.

"No, Solomon, stay back," the Doctor warned, but he was ignored.

"I'm told that I'm addressing the Daleks. Is this right?" Solomon studied the Daleks. He held firm, voice not shaking even the slightest, and the Doctor blinked, curiously watching. What was he trying? He still shouldn't have been, but… "From what I hear, you're outcasts, too."

"Solomon," the Doctor tried again, this time stepping forward to tug him back.

Solomon shook him off. "Doctor, this is my township. You will respect my authority." He searched the Doctor's gaze. The Doctor looked him in the eyes and then slowly nodded. He would let this man try. "Daleks," Solomon continued, turning back to the Daleks before him, "ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" He said aside his gun, much to the surprise of the people around them. "Right. See, I've just discovered this past day, God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Terrifies me right down to the bone, but surely it's got to give me hope. Hope that maybe together, we can make a better tomorrow. So I beg you now. If you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well? What do you say?"

Jay looked at Solomon in awe. This man, this one man, was such a good person. A man who could likely lead a group of people right to what they needed.

And all of that came crashing down when the Dalek responded, "Exterminate."

The Doctor tensed, and he looked ready to fling himself forward. But it was too late, and something slammed into him. Solomon screamed in agony before crumpling to the ground, dead.

Shaken, Jay gripped Martha's hand as Frank screamed, "Solomon!"

"They killed him," Martha whispered, horrified. "They just shot him on the spot."

"Doctor-" Jay protested when she saw him slowly step up. His face was a mask of rage, and those who had moved to try and see if they could help Solomon stilled as he snarled, "My turn. Kill me if it'll stop you from attacking these people!"

"Exterminate!"

The Doctor braced himself. But when nothing happened, he narrowed his eyes and peered at the Dalek. Martha and Jay crept closer to the Doctor, who looked at them quickly in disapproval. But neither seemed to care or notice, instead peering curiously up at the Daleks.

"I do not understand," the Dalek stated suddenly, head turning slightly. "It is the Doctor." Silence, and then it declared, "The urge to kill is too strong."

"It must be communicating with something," Jay realized. She turned her head towards the Doctor. "The ones in the laboratory?"

"More than likely," he agreed. When the Dalek agreed to obey, he lifted his voice. "What's going on?"

"You will follow," the Dalek told him.

"No!" Martha cried, immediately grabbing his arm. "You can't go."

Jay looked just as distressed by the idea. The Doctor gave them comforting looks, turning to them for a moment. "I've got to go," he said firmly, planting a hand on Martha's shoulder and gently squeezing. "The Daleks just changed their minds, and Daleks never change their minds."

"What about us?" Martha whispered, eyes darting to the Daleks above them.

The Doctor thought it over and then called up to the Daleks, "One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"

Jay's heart twisted in panic, aching at the thought. Rubbing her chest, she listened as the Dalek declared that the humans would be spared and the Doctor would follow. "Doctor," she tried, heart racing.

He smiled kindly at her. "Jay, stay here with Martha. Martha, do what you do best. People are hurt and you can help them. Let me go. Oh, and can I just say…" His gaze slid over the two women. "Thank you very much." He took Jay's hand and gave it a squeeze as he'd done with Martha's shoulder. Except this time, Jay realized, he'd done something else. She felt something gripped in her hands, his fingers wrapping her own around it. The Doctor winked at her, and then turned and walked away.

"What?" Jay stammered, effectively distracted. She turned to ask Martha what it was, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She rubbed at her chest desperately, trying to calm it as she tucked the strange piece of paper, which was blank, into her pocket. Martha was gone, all ready determined to help those she could.

* * *

Within the next half hour, Martha was in charge. She sent Tallulah for a pan of hot water and Jay to wander the camp, sending people to her as she saw fit. "Here you are," Martha said cheerfully, finishing the wrapping of a man's sprained wrist.

"Here you are," Tallulah said as she put the pan down. "I got some more on the boil."

"Thanks," Martha said. To her patient, she said kindy, "You'll be okay. It's just a sprain. Just don't use that wrist too much, okay?"

"Thanks," he mumbled and then went to help with the clean up.

Martha let out a breath, rocking back. Beside her, Tallulah quietly watched people go this way and that. "So what about us?" Tallulah said suddenly.

"I don't know," Martha admitted. Her head was spinning. Why would the Doctor leave them like he had? And the strange look he'd given Jay just before Martha had turned away… "I'm going to go find Jay, maybe she heard him say something-"

They were interrupted by a shout of surprise followed by several cries of alarm. Martha and Tallulah swiftly exited the tent that they'd been using, meeting a worried and grieving Frank just out front as he came rushing for them. Breath coming heavily, he said grimly, "It's Jay, she just collapsed-"

Martha's gaze hardened. "Lead the way."

They tore off through the camp and within moments, Martha was landing hard on her knees upon finding Jay with a few others around her. She was gasping for air, struggling to suck it down, her fingers digging into her chest. Martha touched her hand to let her know that she was there and felt her pulse. It fluttered painfully fast beneath her touch. "What on earth," she muttered, hating that the Doctor wasn't there. Likely something that had come with the other attack she'd had…

Yet, this wasn't nearly as bad. Within only a few moments, Jay was weakly sucking down air. Her pulse began to slow and settle back into a normal rhythm. Finally, she rasped, "Ow."

"Alright?" Frank asked, squatting next to them.

"No," she answered honestly, voice hoarse.

"Tallulah," Martha muttered, "she needs water."

Tallulah nodded and went to fetch it. When she came back, Jay had managed to sit up and accepted the water gratefully, downing it quickly. Frank ordered the people around to go back to what they were doing. Finally, Jay whispered, "Thanks."

"We'll let the Doctor know when we see him again," Martha said warmly. And they _would_ see the Time Lord again. She refused to think otherwise.

Jay gasped suddenly and grabbed Martha's arm, shoving the water back at Tallulah. "Martha, before he left, he gave me something." She removed something from her pocket and shoved it into Martha's hands, and martha looked down to investigate. "What is it?"

"Psychic paper?" Martha said, thoughtful. Why would he- Inspiration struck her. "Down in the sewers, the Daleks mentioned this energy conductor." Tallulah cocked her head curiously, and Frank furrowed his brow. "Dalekanium. Something about Dalekanium being in place. The question is where. Frank, that Mr. Diagoras...he was like some sort of fixer, yeah? Get you jobs all over town?"

"Yeah," Frank said, confused by Martha's intent. "He could find a profit anywhere. We're all so desperate for work, you just hoped he'd pick you for something good. Building work, that pays the best."

"But what sort of building work?" Martha demanded.

Jay tugged on her sleeve and pointed tiredly at the Empire State Building. "I'm assuming that."

* * *

It was a tight fit, all four humans shoved into the service lift. Jay, having never been in one and exhausted, clung to Frank's arm. He gave her a sympathetic look. They'd tried to make her stay behind, but she'd been stubborn and threatened to follow anyways. Tallulah had been determined to help, too, although she'd admitted that she wasn't sure what she could do.

"I always wanted to go to the Empire State," Martha said suddenly. "Never imagined it quite like this, though."

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked, peering curiously at her.

"The top," Jay whispered, looking up. "They're still building up there." She suddenly frowned, looking to Martha. "Martha, what was that piece of paper that you showed those people? The one that the Doctor gave me? They just...let us through."

Martha flashed her a smile. "Psychic paper. Shows them whatever we want them to think. According to this, we're three engineers and an architect."

When the lift got to the top, the four spilled out into a lobby. They meandered through it into a working space, a series of half-built offices. Heart pounding at the height as they all paused to look out over the city, Jay shook her head and then focused on a drawing board with blueprints.

"Okay," she said as she approached it, still keeping a tight grip on Frank. He and Martha settled down to study them as Tallulah slid away to look some more. "Now look at the date. The designs, they were issued today." She tapped the date, remembering the date on the newspaper that had first informed them of the disappearances of people from Hooverville. "They must have changed something at the last moment."

"The Daleks?" Martha asked, looking at her quickly.

"Could be," Frank muttered, peering at them. "The ones underneath are from before. Means whatever's been changed must be on top, eh? We need to check one against the other."

"The height of this place," Tallulah cried, peering out over the city some more. Her eyes were full of awe. "This is amazing." Martha warned her to be careful and Tallulah waved her off. "I just want to see. New York City. If aliens had to come to Earth...oh, no wonder they came here."

Shaking her head, Jay ripped the blueprints from the board and spread them out over the floor with the help of Martha and Frank. Tallulah stayed out a little, watching the city below, and Frank decided to go and keep an eye out for anything that might come looking for them. Martha and Jay agreed it was for the best. They didn't want to be interrupted.

"There's a hell of a storm moving in," Tallulah said as she came back in, arms wrapped around herself. Her face was pale.

"I wish the Doctor was here," Martha sighed as they began to scan through the papers. "He'd know what we're looking for."

Jay was murmuring her agreement when Tallulah asked, "Where did you and him first hook up?"

"We're not hooked up," Martha corrected, flushing. "But...we met in a hospital, sort of."

Jay glanced up from the blueprints. She'd not yet heard how Martha had met the Doctor. They both knew how _she_ had. Tallulah nodded wisely, as if predicting that this was how Martha would have met him. "Of course, him being a doctor."

"Actually," Martha said, "I'm a doctor. Well," she paused to think it over and then shrugged. "Kind of."

Tallulah looked stunned. "You're a physician? Really?"

"I was training. Still am, if I ever get back home."

The way Martha said that had Jay reaching out to squeeze her shoulder comfortingly. She felt a little envious of Martha. The girl had a family to go home to, one that would likely clutch her to them and never let go if they learned what she'd been through. Jay knew hers would likely roll their eyes and throw her into her room.

"He had this companion a while back," Martha said suddenly, catching Jay's attention. "This...friend. And ever since then, he's been on his own. I showed up...and then Jay, so he's not anymore. He's really not. But sometimes, you know, I say something or do something and he looks at me, and I just sort of thing that he's not seeing me. He's just...remembering." Her voice was laced with pain and Jay's expression softened. She reached out and patted Martha's arm again, and then grunted softly when her heart began to pick up in speed.

"Martha-" she managed to get out before she was on the ground again, shuddering as the pain in her chest returned. Martha gave a cry, leaning over her and Tallulah hurried closer to try and help without knowing how.

Jay didn't understand why, but groaned in relief when this wave only lasted a few seconds. When the pain was gone, she croaked, "I'm going to take the world's longest nap when I get back to the TARDIS."

Martha gave a brief laugh before rushing back to the blueprints, searching for answers as she called, "Rest. I'll find what we need. They're like earthquakes, those attacks. Each aftershock is smaller. I hope it stops soon. Before we're in the middle of something and it comes."

"You think?" Jay rasped in agreement.

After a few more minutes of searching, Martha gave a triumphant laugh. "Gotcha! Look, there on the mast. Those little lines? The're new. They've added something, see?"

"Added what?" Tallulah sputtered.

Jay, still simply resting on her back, grinned and gave the answer. "Dalekanium."

Not an even a moment later, Frank burst back in, grinning. Martha looked at him questioningly. He only moved aside, saying, "Brought some company."

"Doctor!" Martha cried in relief when she saw the Time Lord step out of hiding, beaming at the sight of she and Jay. He furrowed his brow briefly as Jay rose from the floor, climbing to her feet with Martha's help as Tallulah tackled Laszlo, who was also there, in a tight hug.

Laughing, Jay called, "We've worked it out. We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast."

"And it's good to see you by the way," Martha added as they made their way over to him.

He chuckled. "Oh, come here," he said fondly, sweeping her up in a hug that lifted her off of her feet. Jay was next, and she sputtered when he gave her a crushing hug. She flailed her arms a little, unsure of what to do. She didn't recall the last time she'd been hugged, to be honest. But the Doctor merely grinned and patted her head before suddenly ripping back as he spun around when the sound of a soft ding. "No, no, no," he groaned, "never waste time with a hug. Deadlock seal." He gestured behind Frank, to where the lift they'd all used had closed. "I can't stop it."

Martha grew serious. She let Jay lean on her, her dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Where's it going, Doctor?"

"Right down to the Daleks," he said darkly. "And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?" He snapped this to Frank, whirling about.

"Er, about eleven-fifteen," Frank reported.

"Six minutes to go," the Doctor said, nodding curtly. "I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits." Tallulah furrowed her brow in confusion, but no one questioned what he meant. Instead, they followed him out into the open area she'd been studying while Martha and Jay searched the blueprints. Martha grabbed the blueprints as they did so.

The Doctor made a face. "Oh," he said, looking down at the city, "that's high. That's very...blimey, that's high."

Martha couldn't help herself. She rolled her eyes. "And we've got to go even higher," she said confidently. "That's the mast up there." She showed him the blueprints in her hands, glancing up. "There's three pieces of Dalekanium on the base, like here." She tapped the paper. "We've got to get them off." Both of them stopped, staring at the wooden ladder that would take them up to the mast.

"That's not we," the Doctor told her, gently nudging her back. "That's just me. Jay can't make it up there in this condition, and you're going to have your hands full. I'm sorry, Martha. But you're going to have to fight."

Martha looked horrified by the thought, but Jay spoke up in response, her blue eyes flickering with uncertainty and hesitance. " _How_?"

"However you can." He reached out and ruffled her hair playfully before slipping out, gripping the ladder. Within moments, the Doctor was climbing up out of view. They watched him go anxiously.

A soft ding caught their attention, and Martha spun around. "The lift's coming up," she said, uneasy.

Frank swore under his breath. "I should have brought that gun," he muttered.

"Tallulah, stay back. You, too, Martha, Jay." Laszlo spoke firmly, his expression full of wary concern. "The're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth." He moved to step forward but stumbled. Tallulah gasped, stepping forward and asking what was wrong, and he waved her off. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Leave me."

Tallulah was having none of it. She rested her fingers on his head, and her face filled with horror. "Oh, honey. You're burning up! What's wrong with you, Laszlo? Tell me."

Frank groaned. "Great," he cried. "One man down, and we ain't even started yet."

Swallowing thickly, Jay asked Martha, "It's not looking good, is it?"

"No." Martha took a deep breath. "We're going to be slaughtered." A crash of thunder filled the air, making them all jump. Lightning flashed a moment later, and Martha spun around to stare at the outside world with wide eyes. "Wait a minute...lightning! Frank, Jay, help me!" She dove for a piece of metal, her eyes glittering with excitement.

Frank caught on, as did Jay, and within moments, they were arranging pieces of metal, careful not to touch it as lightning flashed outside. Tallulah watched them, irritated as she cared for Laszlo. "What the hell are you clowns doing?"

Jay flashed her a grin through bleary blue eyes. "Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still going to get hit."

"A great big bolt of lightning," Martha agreed. "Electricity, all down this building. If we connect this to the lift...they get zapped!"

Tallulah gasped. "Oh, my God, that could work!"

Frank rolled his eyes. "Then give us a hand!"

Tallulah leaped to her feet to do just that. Together, the group fixed it up so that a long line of metal pieces ran from outside to the doors of the lift that would soon arrive. Anxious, Tallulah breathed, staring at their finished work, "Is that going to work?"

"It's got to," Martha said. "Jay, don't move. Stay there." She went to help Tallulah move Laszlo to a safe place without metal.

Frank ducked back in from checking on a piece of outside material, swiping his hands. "I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside."

"Good job," Martha praised. Jay blinked when she added, "Come here, Frank, just sit in the middle. And no one touch anything metal, do you hear me?"

Everyone mumbled versions of "yes". There was a moment in which silence fell, with Jay clutching Martha's hand tightly as the lift dinged, signaling its arrival. Her breath hitched when the doors opened and revealed a group of pigmen. And then, just like that, there was a loud crack. Lightning flashed as it struck the Empire State Building, and the three women, Frank, and Laszlo all gave small cries of shock when the electricity slammed into the pigmen. They spasmed before falling limp.

After a few moments of more silence, Tallulah let out a breath. The pigmen were dead. "You did it!"

Martha only looked at the pigmen with a mournful expression, horrified. "They used to be like Laszlo. They were people, and we killed them."

"No," Laszlo said gently, sounding weak. "the Daleks killed them long ago."

Jay gripped Martha's hand so hard, she felt as if the bones would break. "Martha, what about the Doctor?"

Martha bit her lip, eyeing the space behind them. "Stay here," she ordered, and then edged out. She paused just outside, blinking, and scooped up something before disappearing. Frank helped Jay to her feet as they waited for Martha to come back, and Tallulah checked on her lover, making sure he was okay.

It seemed like ages before Martha returned, smiling briefly when Jay gave a cry of relief upon seeing the Doctor staggering along behind her. He looked a little worse for the wear, but alive, and he grimaced as he said, "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing. They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers underneath Manhattan."

"What?" Jay said sharply, stunned. "But...didn't you-"

"I didn't get all of it," he admitted.

Laszlo asked, "How do we stop them?"

"There's only one chance," the Doctor said. He looked over the group before him, eyes uneasy. "I didn't get all of the Dalekanium, but I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping through me first. We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them." He furrowed his brow, ignoring the shocked and horrified looks the others were giving him. "Where can I draw them out? Think, think, think… We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way… Tallulah!" His head snapped up.

"That's me," she chirped, "three l's and an h."

"The theater," he said, eyes lighting up. "It's right above them, and what, it's just past midnight? Can you get us inside?"

"Don't see why not," she responded.

"Is there another lift?" the Doctor asked, eyeing the lift he'd originally taken. It was full of dead pigmen now. That wouldn't do.

"We came up in the service elevator," Jay supplied, and he beamed at her.

"That'll do. _Allons-y_!"

* * *

They were in the theater, the Doctor working furiously on something or another in the middle of the seating area. Martha was keeping close, waiting to see what she could do. In the seating before the space the Doctor worked in, Tallulah fretted over Laszlo, and Jay sat on the edge of the stage, hand pressed over her chest as her heart skipped a beat, bringing a small flicker of pain that didn't do much.

From where she stood, Tallulah announced, "There ain't nothing more creepy than a theatre in the dark." Jay nodded, watching as the young woman turned to look at the Doctor. Her gaze was full of fear. She was worried about him. "Doctor," she said, biting her lip, "what's happening to Laszlo?"

"Not now, Tallulah, sorry," the Doctor said, not looking up. He was playing with his sonic screwdriver now. Jay bristled at him. Could he not answer the question? They all wanted to now at this point.

"What are you doing?" Jay asked, hopping down from the stage. She went to join he and Martha, peering curiously at the sonic screwdriver.

"If the Daleks are going to war," he explained to the two women, "they'll want to find their number one enemy. I'm just telling them where I am." He held the sonic screwdriver in the air, smirking as it beeped. When he lowered it, he told Martha and Jay, "I'm telling you two to go. Frank," he gestured to where the said man had vanished, returning to Hooverville, "can take you back to Hooverville."

"And I'm telling you," Martha said stubbornly, "we're not going."

The Doctor glanced at Jay and she leveled a look at him. She wasn't going anywhere.

"That's an order," he warned.

"Order, schmorder," Jay said dismissively. "I think we need to be more focused on-"

The doors burst open, broken down, and she jumped as people stormed in. Their arms held large guns that instinctively put her on edge, and the Doctor stepped before she and Martha with darkened eyes. Tallulah panicked, and Martha breathed, "Humans, with Dalek DNA?"

Soothingly, the Doctor said to them, "It's alright, just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

Laszlo said warily, "But what of the Dalek masters? Where are _they_?"

An explosion on the theater stage had them all whirling around. Too late to flee now. Daleks appeared on stage and Jay felt horror and shock fill her as she stared. Before them, crawling on his hands and knees with a chain at his throat, was Dalek Sec. Her hand cupped over her mouth. She knew that the Daleks were horrible, but to do _this_ …

"The Doctor will stand before the Daleks," a Dalek screeched as they stopped. The Doctor said nothing, merely patting Martha's shoulder affectionately as he hopped onto the backs of the seats, striding across the rows with ease. There was a dark expression on his face as he stopped before the Daleks, standing tall and proud. "You will die, Doctor. It is the beginning of a new age."

The second Dalek added, "Planet Earth will become New Skaro."

That didn't sound very good, Jay decided, biting the inside of her cheek nervously.

"Oh, and what a world," the Doctor said with enough sarcasm to have sufficed for the rest of Jay's life. She snorted. "With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec." He jammed his finger in the hybrid's direction and Jay felt a flicker of sympathy for the creature that had been a threat no more than a few hours before. "Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is this your new empire? Hm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

From where he was on the ground, Dalek Sec spoke, and Jay turned her sharp blue eyes onto him. "My Daleks, just understand this. If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you."

Jay's breath hitched and Martha breathed, "When did he-"

"Incorrect." The first of the pair of Daleks spoke now. "We will always survive. Now we will destroy our greatest enemy: the Doctor."

"But he can help you," Dalek Sec pleaded.

"The Doctor must die."

Jay stiffened as Dalek Sec begged for them to spare the Doctor's life, and she bit her lip so hard it bled as the Dalek's metal arm twitched, preparing to fire. The Doctor showed no fear, dark eyes blazing as he stared the Daleks down.

"Exterminate!"

Martha gasped and Jay cried out just as Dalek Sec shot to his feet, taking the blast meant for the Doctor. He crumpled, dead, and the Doctor looked just as surprised as the rest of them. Yet, he said, voice dark, "Your own leader. The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness...and you destroyed him. Do you see what they did? You see what a Dalek really is?" This was said to the humans standing around them. None of them reacted. Jay watched them warily, shivering a little. "If I'm going to die, let's give the new boys a shot, eh? What do you think, Jay? Martha?" He grinned at them. They looked at him in horror. "The Dalek humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptise them in the blood of your worst enemy."

"Dalek humans," a Dalek ordered, "take aim."

Jay flinched as the guns were cocked, all humans doing as they were told except for those with the Doctor.

"Exterminate!"

The Doctor stiffened, and Martha flinched as Jay had. But nothing happened. They exchanged nervous looks. What was going on? The Dalek repeated its order. When nothing occurred again, a Dalek said, "Obey. Dalek humans will obey."

"They're not firing," Jay said aloud, blinking. She looked up to the Doctor. He merely winked at her as she asked, "What have you done?"

"You will obey. Exterminate," the Dalek tried again. If they'd had any emotion, Jay was sure they'd be furious.

"Why?" Their heads snapped around to look at a Dalek human who'd spoken, looking puzzled.

"Daleks do not question orders," he was told by one of the Daleks.

"But...why?"

"You will stop this."

"But why?"

"You must not question."

Jay nearly burst into giggles. Despite the distress of the situation, it was entirely hilarious to see a Dalek and human Dalek acting like mother and child. She'd done the same thing to her nursemaids growing up. _But why?_ Such an important question that no one wanted to answer.

"But you are not our master," the man said suddenly, lifting his voice. "And we...we are not Daleks."

"No," the Doctor said, speaking up now with an almost smug look in his eyes. Jay wondered if he'd wanted this. "You're not. And you never will be." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "Sorry, I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom."

Jay couldn't help herself; she grinned.

Of course it had.

"If they will not obey," the Dalek decided, "then they must die."

It took one shot to kill the man who had spoken, and the Doctor's face shifted. "Get down!" he ordered, practically throwing himself from the top of the seats. He ducked down among the seats, and Jay and Martha hastily did the same. Jay heard Tallulah shriek as the Daleks declared a phrase that Jay thought to be their signature, "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

One of the Daleks blew up, and Jay shrieked when hot metal burned her, flying everywhere. Martha swore and batted at a spot on her neck. The other Dalek was gone a moment later and with reluctance, the Doctor peered around before standing straight. Martha and Jay crept through the seats to join him, looking fairly unhappy about being burned. "It's all right," the Doctor said reassuringly to the human Daleks. "You did it. You're free."

The words had barely left his mouth before the newly made hybrids started screeching and crying out, clutching their heads. One by one, they watched in horror as they crumpled, dead. "No," the Doctor beathed, and then shouted, " _No_! They can't!" He repeated this as he ran his hands through his hair, frustrated.

"What happened?" Martha demanded. "What was that?"

"They killed them," the Doctor said blankly. He scowled. "Rather than let them live, they killed an entire species. Genocide."

Laszlo brought an important point to their attention. "Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed. One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said, still angry. "Just one in the whole universe." Without hesitation, he swung around and stormed through the theater, heading for the prop room. The others were right behind him, all nervous to be left alone without the one person who clearly knew what he was doing. Laszlo needed some help, but Tallulah was more than willing to offer it.

It didn't take them long to reach the laboratory now that they knew the way. The Doctor only stopped once when he made sure Martha and Jay had gotten off the ladder down into the tunnels all right. But then they were rushing again.

When they reached the laboratory, the Doctor stormed right on in without looking back, demanding aloud to the Dalek that remained, "Now what?"

It spun a little, attached to some cables. "You will be exterminated," it told him.

"Yeah, yeah," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes. He'd heard it all before. "Just think about it, Dalek...what was your name?"

"Dalek Caan."

"Dalek Caan," the Doctor repeated. "Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated, leaving only...you. Right now, you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion, because I've just seen one genocide. I won't cause another. Caan, let me help you." Martha and Jay stared at him. This was not where they'd expected the conversation to go. Martha turned away when Tallulah called her name quietly, rushing over to tend to Laszlo with her. Jay merely watched the Dalek. The Doctor ignored them all, eyes locked on the Dalek. "What do you say?"

"Emergency temporal shift!"

Jay jumped when the Dalek vanished, the cables connected to it falling limply to the earth. Jay blinked, stunned. Just like that, the danger was gone. She opened her mouth to ask where it had gone, but was cut off when Martha cried, "Doctor! Doctor, he's sick!" She spun around to discover Tallulah and Martha helping Laszlo to sit down as he wheezed desperately for air. She was reminded distantly of her own problems earlier and quickly strode over to help as the Doctor snapped around.

"It's okay," Martha was whispering to him, "you're alright. It's his heart." This was said to the Doctor when he crouched beside them. "It's racing like mad, I've never seen anything like it. Except for...well, you." She looked at Jay.

"What is it, Doctor?" Tallulah begged. "What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe...what is it?"

"None of the slaves survive long," Laszlo said, breathing heavily. "Most of them only live for a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on because I had you, Tallulah, but now...I'm dying."

She gave a soft sob. "No, you're not. Not now, not after all this. Doctor, can't you do something?"

The Doctor's expression hardened and he shot to his feet, whirling around. "Oh, Tallulah with three l's and an h, just watch me. What do I need?" He looked to Jay, who made a small "I don't know!" gesture. He grinned. "I don't know, how about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh, look, I've got one." He threw his arms out to indicate the laboratory around them. "Laszlo, just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today." He strode away, getting too work. As he worked rapidly, desperate to save Laszlo and admitting to himself that maybe something he did here could help Jay, he spoke. "Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age old enemies.

"And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now! I am not having one more death! You got that? Not one!" The Doctor swept Tallulah aside and she looked shocked. Jay found herself smiling brightly as he cried, "Tallulah, out of the way. The Doctor is _in_!"

* * *

"Do you reckon it's going to work?"

Jay paused in staring out at the city from the doorway of the TARDIS. She glanced Martha's way. The other woman was leaning against the outside of the ship, her arms folded and her face turned to Jay. "What do you mean?"

"Tallulah and Frank." Martha gestured to the city around them. "Do you reckon them staying in Hooverville is going to work?"

They'd left the pair there, with Frank promising to help them out as he took over Solomon's role in the shantytown for the people who couldn't afford anything else. Jay remembered the tears rolling down Tallulah's cheeks, the gratitude in her eyes as she'd bid them farewell. And she remembered the concern on Frank's face as he tried to figure out how to make everyone accept them. It was unlikely everyone would, but as they'd left, Jay had seen a child approach Laszlo and offer a smile.

"I don't know," said the Doctor from where he was watching the city with the other two. "Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry. But New York? That's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses-"

"Maybe the odd pig slave Dalek mutant hybrid?" Jay suggested, earning a startled laugh from the Doctor. "It just proves it. That there's someone for everyone in the universe."

"Maybe," the Doctor agreed.

Martha said suddenly, "Meant to say, Doctor...I'm sorry. That the Dalek got away. I know what that means to you."

The Doctor gave an off-handed shrug and turned to the TARDIS. Jay blinked. What did the Dalek have to do with anything? Seeing the confusion on her face, the Doctor offered a kind smile. "Come on, you two. I'll tell Jay the story while we get her checked over in the infirmary. I want to see what that little bout was about."

Jay only grimaced when Martha ratted out the other attacks and the Doctor mused, "Maybe we'll draw blood?"

"Bring needles near me," Jay said, "and I won't be accountable for my actions."

The Doctor grinned and swept them both into the TARDIS.

* * *

 _Some more on Jay's condition (sort of) and the end of the Daleks for now. ;)_

 _No reviews, but thanks to those who favorited and followed! I appreciate it!_


	5. The Lazarus Effect

The TARDIS landed with a rock and the Doctor reached over, pulling a lever of some sort as he said cheerfully to Martha, "There we go. Perfect landing. Which isn't easy in such a tight spot." he practically skipped around the TARDIS console, winking when Jay giggled at his antics. They'd been unable to come up with any explanation for her attacks after the whole fiasco in New York, and he'd reluctantly given up in favor of everyone getting some rest.

"You should be used to tight parking spots," Martha told him. She put her hands on her hips. "Where are we?"

"The end of the line," the Doctor said. Jay could tell that he seemed unhappy about it, awkward almost, and she immediately lost her smile. What was going on _now_? "No place like it."

Martha smiled a little and immediately ducked outside. The moment she wasn't in the TARDIS anymore, Jay asked, "Where are we?"

He waved her off. "I promised Martha one trip," he told her simply. Not that he minded having her around. _One more trip_. He'd said it three times now. To Shakespeare, to the Face of Boe, to New York in the 1930s… He liked the young woman. He liked that he wasn't alone when she and Jay, who he was wary of leaving behind after the episodes of pain she'd experienced, were around. They were his friends, as simple as that.

"Home." Martha's words echoed through the control room as he went to step outside behind her. Jay bustled out behind him, not stepping from the doors. "You took me home?" Martha was looking around an apartment and Jay nearly sighed at the architecture of the building, of the antique CDs littering a space, at the carpet and the simple television that looked _nothing_ like what she watched the news on-

"In fact," the Doctor said, interrupting her thoughts and leaning back against his ship a little. Jay could hear her song in her ears, pleased by the touch of the Time Lord. "The morning after we left. So you've only been gone about...twelve hours? And I did make sure it was twelve hours." He narrowed his eyes. He would _not_ make that mistake again. Jackie Tyler's slap _still_ burned his cheek sometimes, even after a regeneration. "No time at all really."

"But all the stuff we've done," Martha said. She sounded dazed. "Shakespeare, Jay, New New York, old new York?"

"Yep. All in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was." He waved at the space around them CDs, laundry. "Back where you were, as promised." A pause when he heard something rumble, and then he turned to face a flustered Jay, saying briefly, "Go eat. TARDIS should have food in the kitchen."

"I don't want to," Jay protested. "I want to say bye to-"

She was cut off by a ringing phone. Martha grimaced as her voice piped up, _"Hi, I'm out. Leave a message!"_

"I'm sorry," Martha groaned.

 _"Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?"_ a female voice said very crossly. Jay giggled when Martha ran a hand down her face, exasperated. _"Alright then, pretend that you're out if you like. I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things! Just thought you'd be interested."_

And then there was a beep followed by silence. Jay stood on her toes to peer over the Doctor's shoulder, still too short to do so even with the boost of the TARDIS. So, she ducked around him when Martha turned on her TV, curious.

 _"The details are top secret,"_ a man on the television was saying proudly.

"There's Tish," Martha said, pointing to a woman who stood near an older man. She looked like Martha, who smiled proudly before muttering under her breath, "How could Tish end up on the news? She's got a new job. PR for some research lab."

 _"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world. With the push of a single button,"_ the man declared, grinning at the crowds, _"I will change what it means to be human."_

Martha shook her head, muting the television as people began to try and demand answers from the man, calling him a professor. She turned back to the Doctor, looking a little anxious about the fact that she was about to be left behind. The Doctor shooed Jay back into the TARDIS, and she glared at him. She wanted to say goodbye to Martha!

"We should go," he said awkwardly to Martha. "One trip is what we said."

"Yeah, I suppose things just kind of escalated," Martha admitted. She folded her arms, watching him closely.

"Mm," the Doctor hummed. "Seems to happen to me a lot." He smiled cheekily and then scowled when Jay shoved past him anyways and threw her arms around Martha in a tight hug that Martha happily returned.

"Bye, Jay," Martha murmured, and then added louder for the Doctor, "Thank you for everything."

The Doctor smiled broadly. "My pleasure," he said honestly and then grabbed Jay by the shoulders and steered her back into the TARDIS, sternly saying to the blonde that if she didn't stay in the TARDIS, he was going to leave her in a black hole.

The Doctor stepped into the TARDIS, not bothering to say goodbye to Martha as he closed the doors and strode past Jay to the TARDIS console. "So," he said casually, flipping a switch and twisting a knob before spinning around the screen so he could see it. "What do you think? The moon? Earth? Another galaxy all together?"

Jay arched a slim brow and then caught herself on railing when the TARDIS began to move. She hadn't missed it. The old man's words echoed in her head, sending off warning bells. She was _positive_ that the Doctor would go back - _as soon as he remembered._ She glared wordlessly at him as he continued.

"Ooh, I know. What about China, early...oh, I don't know, eighth century?" The Doctor flashed her another grin. "Or there's always the Chinese ship, carrying -"

He suddenly stopped, hand gripping a lever.

 _There it is_. Jay grinned when he gasped, reversing everything he had done. The second the TARDIS was done moving, he was sprinting for the doors. Jay giggled, moving aside so that he could throw them back open, revealing a shocked Martha as he demanded, "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

* * *

In the end, they decided to go. Well, not decided. More like the Doctor insisted. Jay was reluctant the moment she found out that it would be formal dress.

"You know," Jay protested after the Doctor had landed the TARDIS outside the laboratory building the event was taking place in, scowling as Martha steered her for the closet. "The last time I dressed up, I ended up in a prison cell with a creature from Hell drooling over me. I still have marks!"

Martha rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine. We have the Doctor."

"That might be another reason to be concerned," Jay said lightly.

"...true, but when has he ever let us down?" Martha planted her in a spot before a mirror. "Now, stay here, I'll-"

"No," Jay sighed, running a hand through her hair. She looked annoyed, but had given in. " _You_ stay here. I'll go find us some clothes. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I've been to more formal events than you, Martha Jones." She flashed Martha smile. "I'll find you something to wear. I know I'm pretty useless at pretty much everything, but this I can do."

She left Martha alone and went hunting for dresses first, finding two that she thought would be perfect within ten minutes of walking through endless rows of clothes. The TARDIS would stop her with a hum when the ship had one that might be to her liking. Jay beamed as she walked back to Martha, grateful for the beautiful TARDIS. Very helpful.

"Black for you," Jay said, sweeping her eyes expertly down Martha's form as she pushed a lovely black dress that would cut off just above Martha's knees at her. She eyed it thoughtfully. "We'll put some silver on you jewelry-wise, fix your hair up off your neck…" She muttered to herself as she ordered Martha to get dressed, setting aside her own red dress to put on after she was done.

It didn't take her long to get Martha fixed up. The black dress was accompanied by black heels, silver bracelets for her wrists, and a chain of silver with a fancy shape at the center. Jay gave her a satisfied nod after pulling her hair up into an elegant style. "Done," Jay declared, stepping back. She planted Martha before a mirror, smiling proudly. "What do you think?"

Martha studied herself and then gave Jay a warm smile. "I don't like dressing up, but...thanks. It's amazing."

Jay winked and then went to get ready herself, calling over her shoulder, "I'm glad you like it. I'll meet you in the control room. Don't let the Doctor run off without us. I don't know where he went off to, but keep an eye on him."

"On it." Martha laughed and strode away.

Jay eyed her own chosen clothing before quickly changing. When she was done getting ready, she went to join the other two, noting how there was no tingling even in her fingertips. She'd grimaced at the veins on her arm. They would take away from her appearance.

It was a little bit of a struggle, walking in heels on the grated TARDIS floor, but she managed as she stepped into the control room. She furrowed her brow, looking around. Where were-

"-I wear this," the Doctor said, voice drifting from the open TARDIS door, "something bad always happens."

Relieved, Jay hurried to join them, smoothing her hands down her dress. She heard Martha snort. "It's not the outfit, that's just you. I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way."

"I don't know who James Bond is," Jay said, stepping out behind them as she eyed the Doctor, who spun around to look at her with Martha, "but Martha's right. It suits you."

Martha grinned. "And your dress suits you."

"I don't like it," Jay admitted, looking down at the flowing red dress she'd put on. "But it'll do. I didn't realize how much I'd grown to like those…jeans, I believe they're called."

The Doctor laughed, smiling brightly at her before turning back around to look at the building before them. Playfully, he offered them his arms. "Shall we?"

Jay winked at Martha as she took one of his arms, and Martha rolled her eyes as she latched onto the other. Together, the trio entered the building.

* * *

"This place is huge," Martha said breathlessly as they strode through a large room with high windows and a strange thing she'd never seen at the center of the room. A machine, perhaps. She smiled slightly at the beautiful area. "I mean, look at it!"

Jay looked around and wrinkled her nose. "Honestly, I've seen better."

"Me, too," the Doctor agreed. He looked unhappy to be there despite having been the one to encourage it. But that changed when a waiter walked past, dressed in black and white as he carried a tray of food. The Doctor's face lit up. "Oh, look!" he cried. "The've got nibbles! I love nibbles."

Jay giggled. "I wish you'd have been at my father's get togethers," she told him. "He would have hated you."

He merely grinned and then looked over when Martha was greeted by someone. _Tish_ , Jay remembered, smiling in a friendly manner at Tish. Tish eyed them curiously, then said to Martha, "You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

"Very," Martha agreed.

"And two nights out in a row for you." Tish became teasing, smiling a little. "That's dangerously close to a social life."

Martha looked as if she agreed with the idea, even saying, "If I keep this up, I'll end up in the gossip columns." Tish snorted and she laughed herself before glancing at the Doctor when he made an off-handed comment about ending up in few of those to Jay.

"You might, actually," Tish told her. "You should keep out an eye for photographers. And Mum. She's coming, too...she's even managed to drag Leo along with her."

Martha gasped. "Leo in black tie? That I must see." Grinning, she stepped aside and gestured to her companions. "Tish, this is Jay and, er, the Doctor."

"Hello," the Doctor said, giving a little wave. Jay copied, though she said the greeting with a polite nod and small smile rather than waving. She glared at the Doctor, telling him in a hushed tone that it wasn't how you were supposed to greet people at formal occasions. Martha shook her head, fighting the urge to giggle.

Tish eyed them. "But they're not on the list. How did they get in?"

"They're my plus...one?" Martha shook her head, clearing out the confusion that gathered.

The Doctor joined in, distracting Tish from pushing for more information. "So, this Lazarus. He's your boss?" he asked, focusing his attention on Tish, who swept her gaze up and down him with an almost subtle approving nod.

"Professor Lazarus, yes," Tish said. She waved at the space around them. "I"m part of his executive staff, head of the PR department. I put this whole thing together."

Martha's jaw dropped. "You're joking."

"Do you know what the professor's doing tonight then?" Jay asked, stepping around Martha to address her sister. She smiled brightly when Tish turned to her, looking surprised.

"Looks like a sonic microfield manipulator," the Doctor added, eyeing the machine before them.

Tish snorted delicately. "He's a science geek," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "I should have known. Anyways, got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later, Martha." She bid them all farewell and then strode away, looking confident in what she was doing.

"Science geek?" the Doctor muttered. "What does that mean?"

Martha chuckled at the curious looks both the Doctor and Jay wore, shaking her head. "That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it," she explained and then furrowed her brow in recognition as a voice drifted through the air, catching her attention.

"Your father's caused me enough heartache already with his menopause and his trophy girlfriend," a woman said sharply and with surprising volume as she strode into the building with a man younger than her by a few decades. Martha's slumping shoulders told Jay that she knew them. The woman smoothed her messy hair with a nervous look as the man told her something, but the woman forewent responding in favor of calling Martha's name when she saw her. Martha forced a smile to her face and even stepped forward to hug her, earning a suspicious look. "Alright," Francine Jones muttered, pulling back. "What's the occasion?"

Martha frowned. "What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you. That's all." She turned to face the young man and smiled teasingly. "You're looking good, Leo."

Leo grimaced, looking down at himself. Clearly, he was as fond of formal dress as Jay was. "If anyone asks me to fetch them a drink, I'll swing for him," he muttered, earning a laugh from his sister.

"You disappeared last night," Francine said suddenly, looking pointedly at Martha.

"I went home." Hurrying away from the subject, she gestured to the two with her. "I introduced them to Tish already, but these are Jay and the Doctor. Friends of mine. Doctor, Jay, these are my mother, Francine, and brother, Leo."

Francine swept a sharp look over them. "Doctor what?" she demanded, bypassing Jay.

"No," Martha cut in. "It's just the Doctor. We've been doing work together. Right?" She threw Jay a pleading look and Jay nodded, murmuring her agreement.

Sensing that the Doctor was about to say something that would give Francine a bad impression, Jay smiled charmingly at her and said, "Hello, Mrs. Jones, it's an honor to meet you."

Her American accent brought surprised looks from Francine and Leo, but neither could say anything further before a sound filled the air. Jay snapped her head around and saw the old professor from the television tapping on a glass with a fork. She nudged the Doctor and Martha, and they turned it look, too. Lazarus stood before them all, his face full of pride. Tish stood beside him, looking calm.

"Ladies and gentleman," Lazarus said. "I am Professor Richard Lazarus. Tonight, I am going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever."

He turned to the machine that had been put on display. Feeling a warning twist in her gut, Jay touched Martha's arm and inclined her head towards the Doctor. Martha furrowed her brow and nodded. Gently touching the Doctor's arm to get his attention - which barely worked, as didn't tear his eyes away from Lazarus and merely leaned in a little - Jay said, "Doctor, this way."

"I'm watching," he protested, but let her pull him forward. He stopped complaining when she planted him in a better spot to see, both of them taking in the chamber that the man had disappeared into. A pair of scientists were working, starting it up and pressing a button. The machine started up and the Doctor stiffened when a moment later, an alarm went off. "It's overloading," Jay realized, recognizing the signs after a display her father had put on in their home. The entire place had gone up in flames.

The Doctor was a step behind her when sparks burst from the controls. The scientists skittered back, yelping. Smoke began billowing into the air and without hesitation, the Doctor took over.

A furious woman shouted, "Somebody stop him. Get him away from those controls!"

Jay threw a glare over her shoulder as Martha pushed through the people that had begun to gasp and chatter to one another. "If this thing goes up in flames," Jay hissed, "it'll take the entire building. Do you want that? Let him work."

The Doctor beamed briefly at Jay, then suddenly yanked out a massive cable. He whirled around in time to see Martha bolt for the chamber itself. "Get it open!" he ordered.

Martha slammed a hand over a button, forcing the doors open. They watched as a young man staggered out, and Jay stiffened in horror as the woman who had shouted at them gasped in delight and clapped her hands.

"Oh, my God," Jay said faintly.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man called, grinning at the people before him, "I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy-six years old, and I am reborn!"

As the chaos died down and people went around speaking to one another, the Doctor and Jay joined Martha before the machine, all stunned. "It can't be the same guy," Martha said as they did, not looking at them. "It's impossible. A trick."

"It's not," the Doctor said grimly, shaking his head. "I wish it were."

"I don't understand. What happened?" Jay asked, looking up to him. Her blue eyes were wide with shock.

"He just changed what it means to be human." The Doctor didn't look pleased. He looked almost angry, as he started for where Lazarus was speaking with the woman who'd shouted at them. Martha and Jay trailed behind him, linking arms. They caught up in time to see Lazarus suddenly snatch a tray of food from a waiter, scarfing down the pieces that were on the tray. "Energy deficit," the Doctor said, catching his attention. "Always happens with this kind of process."

Lazarus turned to face them, frowning a little. His eyes caught on Martha and Jay before focusing on the Time Lord. "You speak as if you see this everyday…?"

"Doctor," the Doctor said without hesitation, not lifting the dark look even the slightest. "And well, no, not every day, but I have some experience of this kind of transformation." Jay and Martha peered curiously at him. What did he mean by that? "Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. Inspired."

"You understand the theory then." Lazarus looked stunned now.

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables," the Doctor said. Jay narrowed her eyes a little, now sweeping her gaze thoughtfully over Lazarus. Interesting. So he thought that something had gone wrong. Well, clearly it had, but more wrong than a man going from old to young.

"That thing nearly exploded," Jay said suddenly, and Lazarus turned his eyes on her. Jay didn't like the sleazy look. It made her uncomfortable, knowing that the top of the dress hugged her pretty damn well. Yet she lifted her chin. "You might as well have stepped into a blender, Mr. Lazarus."

"American." Lazarus nodded to himself, but said the word as if it was an insult, and Jay bristled. "And I don't recall seeing that you were qualified to speak about my work."

"If he hadn't stopped it, you would have blown up along with everything else," she snapped hotly, furious with this man.

He looked at her coolly before turning his attention on the Doctor. "Then I thank you, Doctor, but that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests," Martha said sharply, just as aggravated with this man as her friends.

"Look at me," Lazarus said, tapping himself on the chest with an annoyed look. They were wasting his time, he clearly thought. "You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

The woman beside him narrowed her eyes at them. "This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially," she said in a nasally tone that made Martha want to slap her. How could she be so stupid?

"Commercially?" Jay protested. "That'll be…chaotic."

"Not chaotic, just changing," Lazarus said. He curled a lip at her. "A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve. Something you'll need in the next few years, I suppose."

Jay smiled a shark-like smile and said, "I'm twenty years old, Mr. Lazarus. I don't need immortality like you do. How old are you now. Forty?"

Martha made a strangled sound that might have been laughter, and the Doctor sighed as he gently nudged her back, giving her a warning look. _Don't make him kick us out._ "This isn't about improving," he said calmly. "This is about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely." Lazarus grinned. With that, he turned back to the woman with him. "We have things to discuss, do we not? Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." He picked up Martha's hand, completely ignoring Jay, and kissed the back of it before leaving with his companion.

"I think we should have let him blow up," Jay told them when he was gone.

" _Jay_ ," the Doctor said with exasperation. "But he is out of his depth. He doesn't have an idea of the damage he might have done."

"So what do we do now?" Martha asked, glancing over her shoulder in the direction Lazarus had gone.

"Now?" The Doctor flashed her a smile. "Well, this building must be full of laboratories. So I say we do our own tests."

Martha's lips curved into a large grin as she held up her hand, wiggling her fingers as she showed them the back of it. "Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"

"Martha Jones," the Doctor declared, grabbing her wrist and yanking her forward, "you are a star!"

* * *

"Amazing," the Doctor breathed after they'd done the tests in a hidden area of the building. He looked at the strand of DNA displayed on the computer screen in awe. He'd put a pair of black frames on his face, and it made Jay and Martha look at each other in confusion, but neither had said a word about them. Martha asked him what was so amazing, and he said, "Lazarus' DNA. Look at it. Watch."

Jay, leaning over his left shoulder to peer at the screen, gasped when she saw something shift. "Did that just change? I didn't think...even in my time, you can't alter DNA. Genes, just a few of them, you can trigger, but…"

"Impossible," Martha said, still staring at the screen.

"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight. Don't you love it when that happens?" The Doctor leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. He eyed the screen thoughtfully, trying to figure out what they would do about Lazarus changing his own molecular patterns, which Martha brought up. "Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure, then a metagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands. Basically," he explained when Jay became confused, even more so than Martha, "he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."

"But they're still mutating," Jay said, tapping the screen.

"Because he missed something." The Doctor's expression darkened. "Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him."

"Into what?" Jay asked.

"I don't know, but I think we need to find out." The Doctor flounced to his feet and gently grabbed their shoulders, steering them from the room. "Woman said they were going upstairs, yeah? Let's go."

* * *

"This should be the office," Jay mused as the Doctor peered at the locked door and quickly pulled his sonic screwdriver out. He fiddled with it, and then there was a soft buzzing sound followed by the door unlocking. He pushed it open without hesitation. They all stepped into the office. She arched a brow. "Definitely his office."

"So...where is he?" the Doctor mused, meandering further in. He went to look at a bookshelf on one of the walls.

"Don't know," Martha admitted. "Let's try back at - is that the woman from earlier?" She jabbed her finger at something sticking out from behind Lazarus' desk. They all bustled over and Jay and Martha recoiled at the sight of a skeletal looking dead woman, sprawled out behind the desk. The Doctor crouched beside her to investigate, furrowing his brow. "Is...oh, my God. Lazarus?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Could be. Just a shell. She had all the life energy drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange." Jay gagged at the imagery and despite the situation, Martha snickered a little before looking to him.

"So he's changed already?" Martha asked.

"Not necessarily. You saw the DNA," the Doctor said in response, waving at nothing in particular. "The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough."

"So he'll do it again," Jay realized.

The Doctor merely hummed before standing. "Let's go find him," he decided, leading the way back towards the lifts they'd taken. Martha and Jay strode behind him quickly, their heels clacking on the hard floors.

The Doctor waited until they were in the lift before pressing the button for the floor they wanted. They silently waited until a bell was heard, and then stepped out when the doors opened. Martha took the lead as they returned to the reception room.

But after a few moments of searching, Martha realized, "I can't see him, Doctor."

"He can't be far," the Doctor instructed. "Keep-"

A voice interrupted him and they all looked over when Martha's brother appeared, squirming through people to get to Martha. "Hey," he said to his sister, "you alright, Marth? I think Mum wants to talk to you."

Rather than responding to the statement, she asked, "Have you seen that Lazarus man anywhere, Leo?"

Leo blinked, looking between the three of them when he realized they were all looking at him. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he said, "Yeah. He was, uh, getting cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."

"Ah!" Francine cried as she found them. "Doctor-"

"Where did they go?" the Doctor demanded, not taking his eyes off of Leo.

"Upstairs I think," Leo said. "Why?"

"Doctor-" Francine was cut off as the Doctor sprinted past her with Martha and Jay hot on his heels. She gasped when her glass of champagne was knocked from her hand, shouting after him, "I'm speaking to you!"

They ignored her, and tried Lazarus' office again. It was empty. Frustrated, Jay snapped, "Where could they _be_?!"

"Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature," the Doctor said, yanking his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. He played with it a little, and then began to scan the area with it, flipping it this way and that. "I might be able to pick up - ah ha! Got him!"

"Where?" Martha asked, worried about Tish. The Doctor pointed up, putting the screwdriver away. "But this is the top floor."

"The roof," Jay said and bolted without further explanation. The Doctor called her name, urging her to stick together as he and Martha ran after her, frustrated with her for rushing off. They caught up to her as she stormed up a flight of stairs, surprisingly quick in her heels, and within minutes, they'd pushed their way onto the roof. Jay's head snapped back and forth until she found them, and she started towards the pair with the Doctor and Martha right behind her.

"'-idea and the reality," Lazarus was saying smoothly to the awed Tish, "between the motion and the act-'"

"'Falls the shadow,'" the Doctor finished, interrupting him with a stony expression.

Lazarus turned to look at them with Tish, not at all surprised that they'd found him up there. "So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed."

"Martha?" Tish sputtered, blinking at the sight of her sister. "What are you doing here?"

Martha looked her in the eye and ordered, "Tish, get away from him."

Tish looked offended. "What? Don't tell me what to do."

The Doctor clenched his jaw, gaze never leaving Lazarus. "I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus. What, with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."

"I'm surprised he can even _read_ with the stupidity he's displayed," Jay added to the Doctor. He gave her an exasperated glare. Could she stop trying to agitate him further? Sure, that's what the Doctor himself was doing, but in a different way!

"You're right, Doctor." Lazarus ignored Jay, although he sent her a biting look. "One lifetime's too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two, or three, or four!"

"Doesn't work like that," the Doctor said evenly. He looked at the two women with him, who looked proud to be there. Martha was urging her sister to leave Lazarus' side despite Tish's clear refusal. "Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters. It's the person."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be."

"Or a curse." Jay spoke quietly and finally, Lazarus focused on her. Her blue eyes were disgusted. "Look at what you've done to yourself."

"Who are you to judge me?" Lazarus challenged.

Tish finally exploded on her sister after the past few minutes of desperate attempts, snarling, "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault." She continued her rant, ignoring the horrified looks on Jay and Martha's faces, the alarm in the Doctor's eyes, as Lazarus suddenly hit the ground, body quaking violently, twisting in inhuman ways. "I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for-"

Lazarus made a sound of agony and Tish paused, turning to look at him. Her eyes went wide, rounded with horror when Lazarus finished transforming from man to monster. "Oh, my God," she gasped, voice rising in pitch. The Doctor lunged forward as the scorpion-like monster rose above her, grabbing her wrist and yanking.

"Run!" he shouted, and Martha bolted. Jay hesitated before running after her, the Doctor racing with Tish behind them. They slammed through the door that led to the roof. The Doctor sent Tish forward, and Martha caught her, fretting anxiously over her as the Doctor quickly locked the door behind them, using his sonic screwdriver to ensure Lazarus couldn't just burst through.

"Go, go, go!" he cried and they sprinted down the stairs. The lights flickered above their heads as Lazarus slammed into the doors, screaming in rage.

"I was going to _snog_ him!" Tish wailed as they ran.

 _"Security one. Security one. Security one."_

The group fled the staircase for the lifts, figuring it would be safer, but they faltered when the lights suddenly went off and the doors to the nearby lifts bolted shut. Martha and the Doctor whirled around, trying to find another way down. Heaving for air, Tish gasped, "An intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits."

"The stairs," the Doctor decided, bolting from the area for the flight of stairs they'd originally been on. The others chased after him, and a moment later, there was a loud screaming growl followed by the sound of splintering metal. They flew down the stairs as Martha cried that he was inside.

They were all fairly out of breath by the time they arrived in the reception room again. "Tish," the Doctor said, breathless, "is there another way out of here?"

"An exit around the corner," she said, her eyes round as she stared in horror at the people before them. They had no idea how much danger they were in. "But it'll be locked now."

"Jay, setting fifty-four," the Doctor said, throwing his sonic screwdriver to her. She caught it, but stiffened, unsure of how exactly she was to use it. Martha snatched it from her fingers and set it for her before handing it back, and Jay booked it for the door.

"Listen to me!" the Doctor cried, lifting his voice to catch everyone's attention. "You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

"Don't be ridiculous," a woman scoffed, laughing. "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive!"

A split second before something crashed into the reception room. They whirled around as a furious Lazarus slammed through a table. People panicked, screaming and running. Martha looked frantic, anxious about her brother and mother. Tish clutched her arm, and they watched in horror when Leo tried to get to Francine, telling her to get back. "Leo!" Francine screamed when he was hit by a flying table as Lazarus roared, whirling around.

"This way!" Jay shouted over the noise. She cleared her throat and shouted as loud as she could, trying to lift her voice over the noise. Her body quivered, exhausted from so much running. She'd been picking up a bit of weight, but she was hardly in shape. "Everyone get downstairs!"

"No!" the Doctor cried as a woman suddenly froze, Lazarus towering over her. "Get away from her!"

It did no good. They watched as a woman, sucked dry, collapsed a moment later. Lazarus roared as Francine desperately tried to help Leo to his feet, sobbing, turning his attention on them. Jay bolted from where she was directing people to try and, after Jay had pressed the sonic screwdriver into her hand, sensing that she'd need it, Martha ran for her family. Leo looked dazed, but alive, and Jay grabbed the Doctor's arm. "What do we do?"

The Doctor worked his jaw furiously, thinking. "Run when I say so," he decided, sending Tish to join Martha. He would leave Jay, but the glint in Lazarus' eyes as they locked on the young woman told him that Jay would be next on his list as a meal. Lifting his voice, the Doctor shouted, "What's the point? You can't control it, the mutation's too strong! Killing those people won't help you."

Jay caught onto what he was doing and sneered, "You're a fool, Lazarus, a _joke_. A footnote in the history of failure!"

" _Jay_!" the Doctor cried when Lazarus screamed in fury and lunged for them. They tore off running. "Stop antagonizing him!"

Jay flashed him a grin as they ran down a flight of stairs, her blue eyes shimmering with laughter despite the danger. "Nah, he's a-"

Lazarus slammed into a wall just behind them as they found themself in a basement full of pipes and control panels. The Doctor gritted his teeth and nudged Jay first. She scrambled into the tangle of them, the Doctor right behind her. She shivered when Lazarus hissed above them, "It's no good, Doctor, girl. You can't stop me."

Jay piped up. "Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong, Lazarus?"

"Jay O'Connors," the Doctor hissed in her ear, pushing her head down. "Stop."

Lazarus laughed lowly, the sound echoing around them. "The arrogance is yours. You can't stand in the way of progress."

The Doctor scowled. "You call feeding on innocent people progress?" He shook his head, disgusted. Lazarus proclaimed it necessary and the Doctor said sharply, "That's not your decision to make."

Jay saw something in the corner of her eye and pushed back against the Doctor, scrambling back. He nearly tripped, steadying her. She pressed a her finger over her lips when he opened his mouth and he quieted as something skittered past, peering between the cracks.

It became a game of cat and mouse. They tried to keep the creature distracted so Martha could ensure that everyone got out, but before long, it became too much. Jay's head snapped back and her eyes rounded as Lazarus' monstrous face peered down at them, hanging upside down from the ceiling. The Doctor followed her gaze. "Oh," he said, "hello."

He bolted. Jay was hot on his heels, her hand clasped in his as they ran. He took the lead, running for a laboratory with a half-formed plan in his mind. "Know how to take a light apart?" he asked, gesturing to a fitting.

"Nope," Jay answered, eyes wide.

"Right, go turn on the burner over there and snuff the flame out." The Doctor sent her on her way and began to take the light apart himself. He wasn't fond of death. But if it would keep the innocent people alive-

"Jay," he called, waving her over when she'd turned on another burner, snuffing the flame so that gas filled the air. They went to work on finishing up with the burners, turning on as much gas as they could. A crash had them pausing to look at each other before Jay dove to hide behind a bench, the Doctor following suit.

Lazarus crept into the room and they watched from their hiding place, heaving for air. The Doctor's dark eyes followed his every move as he crooned, "More hide and seek? How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?"

Smirking, Jay retorted, "Have you looked in the mirror lately, Lazarus? Now why would we want to face that?"

" _Jay_. Ready?" the Doctor said in a breathless whisper.

"Yeah," she said.

"Go," he ordered, and Jay scrambled form her hiding place, running as quickly as she could to the back door. The Doctor scrambled behind her as Lazarus whirled on them with a roar, slamming into the bench. Jay flinched when he roughly shoved her head down to protect it, flicking on a light switch. They both felt the blast, wincing as heat and debris washed over them. Distantly, Jay became aware of tingling in her fingertips, but she ignored it.

If that was the sign for an attack, then she had a while.

The Doctor locked a door behind them, hissing at the lack of his sonic screwdriver. Jay took the moment to breathe. Her heart raced as they took off again - only to slam into someone, who shrieked in surprise. "Martha!" she cried in recognition.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor demanded, eyes wide.

"I'm returning this. Jay handed it over, and I thought you might need it." Martha pressed the sonic into his hand and he beamed at the sight of it. "I heard the explosion and guessed it was you. What did you do?"

"We blasted Lazarus," Jay said. "After insulting him. A quite enjoyable time, in my opinion." The Doctor flashed her a glare and she shrugged. "What? It's true." She really didn't care much for the jerk. "We didn't kill him though. More so that we sort of annoyed him, am I right?"

"He wouldn't have been killed by that blast," the Doctor agreed. The trio set off down the hall, walking briskly so that the Doctor and Jay could catch their breath but still get a move on.

"What do we do now?" Martha asked. "You've just gone in a circle." She gestured to the reception room as they stepped into it.

"We can't lead him outside," Jay said, eyeing the doors. "That won't end well for anyone-"

"So we'll get into that," the Doctor said, pointing to the chamber that had originally caused Lazarus' condition. Jay gave him an incredulous look, horrified by the idea of such a small space, but he pushed she and Martha towards it. "We'll fit," he reassured.

"Barely," Martha said a moment alter as she stepped in. Jay was right beside her and with the Doctor pressed in as well, it was an _extremely_ tight fit. Jay felt odd, pressed so closely to people. She didn't think she'd ever been so close to anyone before - except for the hugs she'd received. That had just been...odd.

"Are we...are we hiding?" Jay said suddenly, looking up at the Doctor as he fiddled with his sonic screwdriver, accidentally knocking Martha's chin with his elbow.

"No, but he knows we're here," the Doctor said, glancing at her quickly before returning his gaze to what he was doing. "But this is his masterpiece! He won't destroy it. Not even to get us."

"So...we're trapped," Martha sighed..

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "Slight problem."

"Didn't you have a plan?"

"The plan was to get inside here."

"And then what?"

"Well, then I'd come up with another plan!"

Cutting into the banter, Jay squirmed her arm free and tapped the sonic screwdriver. "So what are you doing with that?" she asked, cocking her head.

He winked, and then promptly slid down the wall. "Improvising. Don't move, I need to reach this panel behind your legs, Martha." She glared down at him, flustered with what was now happening.

"So," Jay said, looking down at him with her chin touching her chest. "Is it human? Lazarus, I mean."

"Oh, most certainly. It's strictly human in origin." The Doctor pried a piece of the machine away, reaching for wires now. "The dormant genes in Lazarus' DNA must have been reactivated by the energy field in this thing. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."

"A throwback," Martha realized.

The Doctor nodded. "Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there, locked away in your genes. Forgotten until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"Like Pandora's Box."

"Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way."

Jay blinked, looking curiously at Martha. "What on earth is Pandora's Box?" she muttered before jumping when the machine suddenly whirred to life, kicking into action. "Doctor!" she said, voice lifting in alarm. "What's happening?"

"Sounds like he's switched the machine on. I was hoping it was going to take him a little long to work that out…" The Doctor struggled with what he was doing, trying to work as quickly as he could without fumbling what he held.

"I don't want to rush you," Jay said honestly, "but if you could hurry up-"

"What are you _doing_ down there?" Martha said with exasperation, trying to see what he was doing.

"I'm trying to set the capsule to reflect the energy rather than receive it."

"Will that kill him?" Jay asked, biting her lip. She didn't want to turn into something that looked like Lazarus. It frightened her.

Without looking up, the Doctor said confidently, "When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So he's spreading himself thin. Just one more…" He struggled, reaching for a wire. Jay screwed her eyes shut, worried that they were going to come out wobbling and monstrous.

But then there was a loud crack and the machine came to a halt. Jay and Martha grinned at one another. Without hesitation, Martha stepped over the Doctor and out. Jay was right behind her and the Doctor finally scrambled to his feet before following suit. "It shouldn't have taken so long to reverse the polarity," the Doctor said. "I must be out of practice." They took in the naked human man lying on the floor unconscious. Lazarus, he noted.

"Oh, God," Martha breathed. "He seems so human again."

"It's...kind of sad." Jay crouched, peering curiously at him. It was only then that she noticed how sore her feet were. She made a face. Heels were not meant for running in.

"Eliot saw that, too. This is the way the world ends." The Doctor lifted his chin, pushing his hands into his pockets as he looked down upon Lazarus. "Not with a bang, but with a whimper."

* * *

Jay jumped when the sirens of an ambulance filled the air, her eyes round with shock. "What _is_ that?" she demanded, turning to Martha for an explanation, but Martha was scanning the area for her family, too distracted to pay her much attention. So, the Doctor answered for her.

"Ambulance. Quite different from what they sound like in the twenty-third century." The Doctor beamed at her when she mused that she liked it. Martha shook her head at their antics and then gasped.

"There they are!" Martha cried, pointing to where her family was. She hurried over, her gaze one of relief. "You're all okay!"

"She's here," Tish groaned in relief, standing swiftly. "Oh, she's all right!"

"Mrs. Jones," the Doctor said cheerfully when Francine immediately strode towards him. "We still haven't finished our-" He didn't get to finish his sentence before Francine had struck him across the face as hard as she could. He looked at her in shock, hand touching his cheek.

"Mum!" Martha screeched. "What are you-"

"Keep away from my daughter," Francine snarled at the Doctor.

"All of the mothers," the Doctor said, saying this to the stunned Jay. He rubbed his cheek with the slightest of pouts, looking bothered. "Every time. Is yours going to slap me, too, if we ever run into her?"

"No." Jay blinked once at Francine. "But she'll knock you out with a punch to the jaw."

"He is dangerous," Francine said, turning to Martha. She grabbed her shoulders, shaking her lightly. "I've been told things. Look around you, Martha, there's nothing but death and destruction!"

Martha shrugged her touch off, bothered by her mother's words. Folding her arms, glaring at her, Martha snapped, "Hang on, this isn't his fault. He saved us, all of us!"

She was surprised when Leo stood up for the Doctor, too, saying pointedly to his mother, "It was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place." Tish gave him a dirty look, elbowing him without much anger. She understood how their mother was. And it would do well for him to get her attention off of the Doctor. "I'd say, technically, it's her fault."

Francine opened her mouth to speak again, but an explosive crash had them all looking over. The Doctor didn't hesitate, grabbing Jay's wrist and tugging her in the direction of it. Martha shook her head in irritation and sprinted after them. Tish tore after them, both curious and determined. She wanted to help, too.

They stared at the back of the open ambulance upon finding it smoking, having slammed into another unused vehicle. There were dead people strewn within, their eyes staring blankly at nothing. One was laying just outside, on the pavement, and they all took a moment to absorb this before the Doctor muttered, "Lazarus, back from the dead. Should have known." He took out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it, scanning the area for the newly created monster. "That way," he said suddenly, pointing. "The church."

"Cathedral," Tish clarified. "It's Southwark Cathedral." No one asked how she knew.

They took off at a jog for the cathedral, which wasn't far at all. When they reached the building, Jay took a moment to appreciate the beauty of it. It was massive, with a gorgeous bell at the top and large glass windows surrounded by brick. Much nicer than the cathedrals seen, with their sleek modern white look. "Do you think he's in here?" Martha asked as they stormed up the steps to the front door.

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" the Doctor said pointedly and then opened the door. Instinctively, they all fell silent. Jay's heels clicked on the floor; Martha and Tish had long ago lost theirs, prefering to run barefoot than risk breaking an ankle. They picked their way carefully through the pews towards the altar.

It was there that they found Lazarus sitting, tucked safely behind it. He had a red blanket wrapped around him, his body quaking with agony. Without looking at them, his eyes staring at something from the long distant past, he said in a whisper, "I came here before. A lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz," the Doctor said, not tearing his gaze from the man before him. "I was there."

"You're too young." Lazarus commented.

"So are you."

Lazarus laughed breathlessly, and then whimpered when sharp snaps that had them all flinching came from his body. There was an odd jerk of his spine that had Jay shivering, wondering if this was a good visual representation of how she felt when the poison had downed her. "In the morning,the fires had died and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenseless...I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today," Jay realized, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt empathy for the man, even with how arrogant he was. Death was terrifying, when you looked it in the face.

"That's what I _did_ today," Lazarus corrected.

"But what about the other people who died?" the Doctor asked evenly, furrowing his brow.

Jay lost all of the empathy she'd had when Lazarus sneered, "They were nothing. Not like me. I changed the course of history."

Curling a lip, Jay said irritably, "Any of the people you killed could have done that, too. Death...it is a part of humanity, Mr. Lazarus. It is a part of being human. That is not something you can change, no matter how much you want. I can tell you now that in the future, death is very much a part of life, just as much as life itself is."

"Very wise, Jay," Martha whispered to her, earning a small smirk of amusement from the young woman.

"No," Lazarus said darkly, "avoiding death...that's being human. It is our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful."

"Look at yourself!" the Doctor cried, waving at him with a frustrated expression. "You're mutating! You've no control over it! You call that a success?"

"I call it progress," Lazarus told him with a snarl. He took a deep breath, shivering in pain. "I'm more than just an ordinary human."

From where she stood, Tish said softly, "There is no such thing as an ordinary human."

The Doctor smiled at her and then narrowed his eyes when Lazarus suddenly convulsed. He stepped back, lowering his voice as he spoke to Martha and then to Jay when she leaned in, blue eyes narrowed. "He's going to change again any minute. If I can get him up into the bell tower, I have an idea that might work."

"Up _there_?" Martha rasped, tilting her head back and imagining just how high the bell tower is.

"You're so sentimental, Doctor," Lazarus sneered, shuddering a second time. "Maybe you're older than you look."

Jay curled a lip at the man as the Doctor said honestly, "I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired." Jay and Martha paused to look at him; Tish kept her gaze on Lazarus. Jay's eyes wavered with curiosity - and sorrow, because just the way he said it said so much. "Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone." He knelt beside Lazarus.

As the Doctor spoke, Martha looked to her sister and Jay. "We need to get him away from the Doctor, Jay."

"Yes, I think so, too," Jay said, finally kicking off her heels. "He mentioned the clock tower, I believe. Martha, care to join me?" Martha nodded, and Jay gathered up her dress in her hand, readying herself. She would have no time to trip. They would have to run as fast as they could. She stormed up behind Lazarus and the Doctor, smirking. The Doctor blinked at her. "Hey," she crooned. "Lazarus. I believe there's a wrinkle. There, just at the corner of your eye. Besides, leave the Doctor be. He's old, so old and bitter." The Doctor looked shocked and a little offended. "Thought you had a taste for fresher meat."

"Jay," the Doctor snapped, "no-"

Lazarus' body changed as he lunged for her and Jay turned and tore off with Martha and Tish chasing after her. "What are you doing?" Martha cried to her sister, who looked terrified.

"Keeping you out of trouble!"

"Doctor!" Jay threw over her shoulder in a shout. "The tower!"

Together, the trio threw themselves into the entryway of the cathedral and began the long run up to the tower, going round and round in a spiral staircase. Lazarus screamed behind them, furious.

The Doctor bolted into the entrance after them, shouting, "Martha!? Jay!?"

Martha paused to peer over one of the railings on the stairs. She grimaced at how high up they were all ready. She looked down at the Doctor, who was staring up from where he stood at the bottom. "Doctor!" she called, and Jay grabbed her arm, nervous when she heard Lazarus creeping closer.

"Take him to the top, the very top of the bell tower!" the Doctor shouted up to them, and Jay peered over at him as well when she realized that Martha was speaking to him. "Do you hear me? All the way!"

"Up to the top!" Martha shouted back. "Got it! Then what?!"

Before the Doctor could answer, Lazarus roared behind them, screaming in fury. Jay grabbed Martha's arm and yanked her away. Tish screamed as she saw a glimpse of what was chasing them and then sprinted up the stairs. Together, the girls ran as fast as they could up the stairs. Jay flinched when stones dug into her feet, but ignored the pain in favor of fleeing for her life.

Within minutes, they were at the top. Jay sprinted out onto the small walkway, eyeing the railings suspiciously. This was not a safe place to be. The bell itself was gorgeous, but...she didn't like looking at gorgeous when there was something trying to eat them.

"There's nowhere to go!" Tish cried. "We're trapped."

"This is where he said to go," Martha said confidently, heaving for air.

"So we're not trapped, we're bait!"

Jay took Tish's hand and gave it a tight squeeze, eyes blazing. "Don't worry, Tish. We'll be okay. The Doctor knows what he's doing. We have to trust him." Martha murmured her agreement and then whirled around when there was a hiss. They stared at the creature blocking the only way out. "Alright," Jay said shakily, heart racing in her chest. Her fingers tingled, and Jay was grateful that there wasn't any pain yet. "Here we go. Any time now, the Doctor will be doing whatever it is he's planning. Right?"

"Right," Martha said, taking Tish's free hand. "Tish, stay behind me. Jay, if he takes me, make a run for it. Get her downstairs. You should have enough time." Jay didn't intend to do that at all, but nodded just to get Martha to relax and focus.

Lazarus snarled and swung with the tail he now possessed, slamming it near where they stood. Tish screamed as brick and debris sprayed them, dust settling into their hair. Jay dragged her and Martha back, biting her lip in fear. Another blow, this one aimed for Tish in particular sent the wall flying out into the street below. A sharp breeze, crisp and cool washed over them. Jay flinched when the sound of an organ drifted from below. They sprinted for the other side of the walkway. What was the Doctor _doing_ -

The blow came while she was distracted. Jay had the breath driven from her as the tail struck her in the middle, sending her stumbling backwards and through the railing of the walkway. She screamed as she felt nothing beneath her, barely snagging the edge.

"Jay!" Martha shrieked, lunging to try and pull her back up, but Lazarus blocked her path, standing over her after taking a flying leap.

"Get away from her!" Tish shouted at Lazarus, ignoring the sound of the organ below. She threw a brick that had come loose, scooping it up from the floor. Silence fell and then the organ _blasted_ through the clock tower. Jay cried out in pain and Tish and Martha clutched their ears as the sound blasted painfully through their ears. Lazarus screamed in pain, writhing.

Jay swore loudly as he stumbled, nearly knocking her further off the side. She clung to the wood, ignoring the splintering pain in her fingertips as Lazarus toppled over the edge, screaming as he fell. The wood creaked, threatening to give way and Jay gave a soft gasp as it jerked. "Martha-"

Martha threw herself onto her stomach, grabbing her arm. "Tish, help me!"

Together, they pulled her to safety, and distantly, Jay heard the Doctor shout their names, worried. She clung to them, letting them pull her to safety and when she felt solid surfaces beneath her knees, Jay sobbed in relief, clutching Martha in a tight hug. Martha hugged her back, gasping, "You're okay, I've got you. We're all okay, Doctor!" she shouted down.

"Thanks," Jay gasped. She grimaced apologetically when she realized that her nails had dug into Martha's arm to the point that she'd drawn blood. Martha barely seemed to notice.

"It should be the Doctor that you thank," Tish said. "He's the one who got the music working. Cut it a bit close there though, didn't he?"

Jay flashed her a faint smile, trembling. "He always does, from what we've gathered," she said. Martha nodded. "S'more fun that way, I s'pose." Her body quaked with shock, and she eyed the drop. With Martha's help, she got to her feet and slowly began to descend the spiral stairs with the other two.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the Doctor was waiting with a relieved look on his face. His gaze scanned them from head to toe, making sure they were okay and then he gave Martha a tight hug. She returned it before moving aside so Jay could have one, too, and Jay laughed breathlessly, unused to the tight squeeze. She liked it.

"I didn't know you could play," Martha teased, eyes twinkling.

The Doctor winked at her. "Oh, well, if you hang around Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up. Any injuries?"

"A few bumps and bruises," Jay reported, patting his arm before eyeing her ruined dress. It had torn in more than one place. "We're fine otherwise. Right?"

"Right." Martha's eyes shone as she smiled at Jay, who smiled back.

Tish surprised them all when she mused, "You sure played that music loud, Doctor."

The way she said his title told them she wanted to know more about who he was, but rather than answering, he sent Jay a sly grin and then leaned in, asking, "Sorry?"

Jay threw her head back and laughed.

* * *

Martha watched Jay closely as she meandered around Martha's apartment, curiously investigating everything as if to see what she could find that she didn't recognize. The Doctor stood before her, hands in his pockets, leaning against the TARDIS lightly. Amused, eyes following Jay, the Doctor commented, "Another thing that escalated, eh?"

Rather than smiling, Martha only sighed. "I can see a pattern developing. You should take more care in the future. And the past, and whatever other time period you find yourself in. You've got someone to keep an eye on now." She liked Jay, but the other woman was quite naive in many parts of life. She still couldn't tie her own shoes.

"It's good fun though, isn't it?" the Doctor said pointedly, lips quirking a little as he turned his gaze on her. Martha agreed. "So, what d'ya say? One more trip?"

"No." Martha shook her head. "Sorry."

"What?" the Doctor said, shocked. "I thought you liked it!"

"I do, but-"

"Doctor," Jay said, suddenly cutting in. She'd stopped wandering around and now leveled him with her sharp gaze, a frown cut into her brow. She studied him closely. "It's not fair to Martha to keep going on like that. 'One more trip.' It's rude to treat her like a passenger who's just coming along for a prize for helping you."

Martha nodded, waving at Jay. "Like she said, Doctor. If that's how you still see me as - a passenger - then I'd rather stay here."

"Okay then." The Doctor didn't move. "If that's what you want."

Jay blinked, confused. Martha looked just as confused as she felt. Finally, Martha said, biting her lip, "Wait."

The Doctor arched a brow. "What? I said okay." She looked even more confused and he repeated, nodding at the TARDIS with a slight smile appearing on his mouth, "Okay."

Martha squealed in excitement and practically threw herself at him for a hug. She laughed in delight. "Thank you!" she cried with a large grin, her dark eyes twinkling. Jay came over to stand before them, her own lips curved into a happy smile. Martha took her hand and squeezed it in gratitude.

Chuckling, the Doctor reached behind him, opening the TARDIS door. Jay eagerly stepped in, and as Martha followed her, excited, he admitted, "You were never really just a passenger, were you?"

"Perhaps not," Martha said. "But still. Thank you."

The Doctor latched the door behind them and then strode for the controls. "Alright! Enough of this running around. I'm promising you a nice, peaceful visit somewhere. No running. So. Where do you want to go?"

"I came here," Martha said, turning to Jay. She flashed her a warm smile. "So you're turn."

Jay thought about it for a moment and then looked at the Doctor, wiggling her fingers behind her back as they tingled. "You said that there were some nice fields to look at?"

Laughing, the Doctor went to work.

* * *

 _Lazarus! I liked writing this episode out. Was a ton of fun. Next up is going to be a blast, too. On another note, I may or may not skip the episodes regarding the Family. Simply because I don't care much for them. I'll replace them with something original, maybe. :)_

 _CelestialGodSlayer16, regarding the filtration...that is because I honestly had no idea that existed. I will likely bring it up later if that's the case. Thank you for mentioning it. :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers_ _(Arashi - IV of VI and CelestialGodSlayer16) as well as those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all!_


	6. 42

Jay kicked her legs quietly from where she sat at the edge of her bed, listening to the sounds of the time machine as it roamed the Time Vortex, set simply to drift while they figured out what to do next. Martha had long since gone out to join the Doctor, cheerful after a nice long day-trip in the meadows the Doctor had mentioned so long ago. It had been pleasant for once, without a single thing gone wrong, and the Doctor had made sure they knew that he could get away without trouble.

Jay had made sure to _not_ point out that one moment in which he'd nearly started an argument with a being that called the planet home.

She shook her wrists. They tingled, but not badly enough to bring tears to her eyes. She had a theory. The tingling hadn't spread nearly as much as it had previously when it started. Perhaps, Jay thought as she climbed to her feet, grabbing some shoes and tugging her cardigan - or that's what Martha had called it - tightly around her. She headed out for the control room with the intention of joining her newfound traveling companions. Perhaps, just perhaps, it had to do with her circulatory system?

She'd suggest it to the Doctor.

As she strode through the corridors, she smiled, patting the TARDIS walls. She could hear its quiet song in her ears, and once again, she wondered why Martha and even the Doctor seemed to not notice it. Surely the Doctor should have at the very least?

"-to worry about a signal again," the Doctor was saying cheerfully as Jay stepped into the control room to join them. He tossed something back at Martha, who caught it with one hand and looked proud at herself for doing so. She curiously studied it and Jay didn't bother to investigate as she went to sit in the captain's seat. She needed to put her shoes on.

"No way," Martha breathed. "But it's… You're telling me I can call anyone - anywhere - in space and time on my mobile?"

The Doctor grinned at the stunned look on her face, pressing a few buttons on the console. "Long as you know the area code. Frequent fliers' privilege."

Jay paused in trying to tie her sneaker. "What the hell is frequent fliers' privilege?"

Martha giggled, and the Doctor launched into an explanation as Martha went to work on dialing on her phone. She'd just pressed a button when the TARDIS suddenly jolted. Jay and Martha screamed as they were sent tumbling. The Doctor was a step behind, yelping when he slammed into the floor, eyes staring widely at the monitor as it began to flash red.

"Distress signal!" the Doctor cried, dragging himself back up to the console. Jay and Martha tried to scramble for a hold on something, managing to get to their feet. Jay still barely had one shoe on and had no idea where her other shoe had gone. The Doctor used his foot to flip a switch that was too far for him to reach with his hands and then shouted when another jolt had them all flying back to the grated floors. A moment later, the TARDIS finally stilled. Martha and Jay gasped for air. The Doctor merely popped back up. "Turbulence. Sorry." He bounced around, checking the TARDIS console to make sure everything was okay before suddenly abandoning them in favor of going to investigate the doors. "Come on, let's take a look!"

"Martha," Jay pleaded as she tracked down her shoes. "Help me, please?"

Martha shook her head and said gently, "I'll teach you how to tie shoes after we're done with whatever trouble's dragging us in this time, okay?" Jay nodded and let Martha tie her Converse before the pair of women rushed after the Doctor.

When they stepped outside, Jay wanted to immediately retreat. "Oh, my goodness, it's hot!"

"Like a sauna," Martha agreed.

The Doctor bounced on the balls of his feet, grateful he'd left his coat inside. "Engine room," he mused. There was a red haze, as if to enforce the idea of heat. He peered at the heavy working pieces of equipment that surrounded them, not daring to touch any of the metal. It'd likely burn even his hands. "Venting systems, working at full pelt," he explained as they looked around. "Trying to cool down...whatever this place is. If you can't stand the heat…" He winked and then sauntered over to a door. It was heavy-duty, looking like something that was hard to open. Yet the Doctor managed and Jay and Martha exchanged a look before hurrying after him. "That's better."

"Oi! You three! Get out of there!"

They snapped their heads over and found three people running at them with narrow eyes on them.. They were accompanied by a couple others. One of the men, a middle-aged person with dark hair and a furrowed brow, had spoken. The woman, looking serious and sweaty as she brushed dark hair from her eyes, snapped, "Seal that door! Now!"

The Doctor stepped aside to let the man who'd spoken and the third person do just that. Martha and Jay exchanged a worried look and stuck close. Martha shrugged off her leather jacket as the woman turned a wary look onto the group. "Who are you?" she demanded. "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" the man who'd spoken previously added, gaze darting between them.

"Why would we be police?" the Doctor asked at the same time that Martha said, "We got your distress signal."

Quietly, Jay pointed out, her gaze searching the area, "If this is a ship, why aren't your engines running?"

They all looked surprised that she'd taken noticed - particularly the Doctor - and with reluctance the woman said, "They went dead four minutes ago."

"So maybe," the second man said finally, annoyed, "we should stop chatting and get to engineering."

 _"Secure closure active."_ The computerized voice filled the air and Jay and Martha jumped. They all looked over when they heard a heavy door slam shut. There was a woman with cropped dark hair and a square jaw running towards them, her eyes wide as she made it into the area with them just a moment before a door slammed close behind her.

"Who activated secure closure?" she cried. "I nearly got locked into area twenty-seven." Gasping for air, she suddenly realized that there were three newcomers. "Who are you?"

Jay opened her mouth to answer but was cut off as Martha, sounding shocked and dazed, answered. "He's the Doctor, I'm Martha, and she's Jay. Hello…" She strode away, looking at a window. Curious, Jay followed her, and Jay's face paled as she realized what was going on.

"Oh, my God," Jay whispered. "Doctor."

The captain sighed heavily and said, "I'm McDonnell. This here is Riley, Scannell, and Erina." She pointed to each as she spoke, indicating Riley to be the first man, Scannell to be the second, and Erina the newest arrival.

 _"Impact projection: forty-two minutes."_

Looking grim, McDonnell said gently to Martha and Jay, "We'll get out of this, I promise."

The Doctor looked between the four people before them. "Forty-two minutes 'til _what_?"

" _Doctor_!" Martha cried, her limbs trembling as she and Jay took in the sight before them. "Look."

The Doctor rushed over, nudging she and Jay aside so he could look out. Both women wiggled so they could keep looking. They could see a beautiful burning star - a sun, even. But there was a problem, the Doctor realized. A very, very important problem.

They were flying right towards it.

From where she stood, the captain of the ship said tiredly, "Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun."

The Doctor spun on his heel, lunging for her. She jumped, but he didn't seem to notice. He grabbed her arm, voice lifting a little in panic. "How many crew members on board?"

"Seven, including us."

Scannell said anxiously, "We transport cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated. We just keep the ship."

"Call the others," the Doctor said, "I'll get you out." Jay and Martha stared as he ran for the door, reaching to open it. They could only watch as the three crew members shouted at him not to, but he ignored them and cranked the door open. Jay cried out when he was suddenly thrown onto his back by the force of the heat that blasted through the area. Martha flew to his side, worried, but he shook her off, propping himself up on his elbows as the crew members fought to close the door.

"But my ship-" the Doctor breathed.

Jay's face paled. The TARDIS! If it was that hot in there, would it be okay?

"In the vent chamber?" Riley asked, heaving for air as he stared at the Doctor with wide dark eyes.

"It's our lifeboat," the Doctor said.

"It's lava," Scannell replied.

Erina bit her lip. "The temperature's going mad in there!" she announced, glancing over her shoulder apologetically at the three newcomers. "Up three-thousand degrees in ten seconds, and still rising."

"Channeling the air," Riley reported, putting his hands on his hips. "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get."

Horrified, Martha whispered, "We're stuck here."

The Doctor shoved himself to his feet, eyes darkening. "So?" he said, ignoring the look of contempt in Martha's eyes. "We fix the engines, steer the ship away from the sun! Simple! Engineering down here, is it?" Without waiting for a response, he turned and sprinted down the corridor that McDonnell and her crew had originally come down from. Heart racing, Jay and Martha, accompanied by said crew, went after them.

 _"Impact in forty minutes and twenty-six seconds,"_ the computer declared.

The Doctor flew down a flight of stairs and paused when he saw the mess before him, eyeing the engines he'd been intending to fix with a snort. "Blimey!" he said, glancing over his shoulder at McDonnell. "Do you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh, my God!" McDonnell breathed, her eyes scanning the mess of wires. The engine had been completely destroyed. Everything had been thrown around them, steaming from the heat. The damage was massive, pieces in every direction. "What the hell happened?"

"Oh," Riley groaned, "it's wrecked."

"Pretty efficiently, too," the Doctor commented, nodding to himself. "Someone knew what they were doing. Jay?" he asked, glancing up at her. She squirmed through the group so she could kneel to study the pieces. "Your family sells parts. What do you think?"

"Someone knew what they were doing when they took that engine apart," Jay said quietly, reaching out and flinching when heat warmed her skin as her fingers hovered over a wire. She glanced at him, watching as he stood and went to check out a computer that had been attached to the engine.

McDonnell suddenly looked around, searching the room. A groan escaped her. "Where's Korwin? Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," Scannell reported.

As Jay rejoined Martha, Martha frowned at her. "You mean someone did this on purpose?" she demanded, and Jay nodded slowly.

"I think so," Jay answered.

Ignoring them, McDonnell strode over to an intercom, pressing down the button and leaning in to speak through it. Her voice echoed around them, irritated. "Korwin, Ashton, where are you?" she demanded, scowling. When there was no response, she tried again. "Korwin, can you answer?" Nothing. Shaking her head, McDonnell turned to face the rest of them. "Where the hell is he? He should be here. In any case...everyone, back to work!"

"Martha, Jay, over here," the Doctor called. They got out of the way of the crew, who went to work on trying to repair the engines. The Doctor tapped the screen, his black frames perched on his nose as he looked at it. "Look, we're in the Torajji system! Lovely!"

"Really?" Jay sighed. "Now?"

He rolled his eyes and then tapped the screen again. They watched as it zoomed out to show a system of planets that revolved around a star that seemed to be much larger than their own sun. "You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Feels like it," the grouchy woman muttered and then followed him when he left the computer to speak to McDonnell. Jay kept up, rubbing her chest. Her fingers up through the knuckle tingled, but she kept that to herself.

"You're still using energy scoops for fusion?" the Doctor said as he eyed the broken engine, furrowing his brow. "Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

Half of the crew paused, everyone exchanging anxious guilty looks. Dismissively, McDonnell waved him off. "We're due to upgrade next docking." She abandoned the Doctor's company in favor of demanding, "Scannell, engine report."

Scannell went over to the computer that the Doctor had been playing with. After a moment, the machine beeped and he looked over his shoulder with a grim expression. "No response." McDonnell sputtered. Scannell quickly ducked down to investigate some wiring, explaining, "They're burnt out. The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

The Doctor snatched the glasses from his face, gaze darting to Scannell. "Oh, come one," he whined, "auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries!"

"We don't have access from here," McDonnell told him, shaking her head. "The controls are in the front of the ship."

"With twenty-nine password sealed doors between us and them," Scannell added bitterly. "You'll never get there in time."

Martha narrowed her eyes, thoughtful. "You can't override the doors?"

Scannell shook his head. "No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all dead-lock sealed."

The Doctor looked so disappointed as he touched his pocket, pouting. "So a sonic's no use…"

"Nothing's any use," Scannell said, looking between them all. Who _were_ these strange newcomers? "We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

Jay rolled her eyes to the ceiling above, scoffing, "Well, aren't you a bright star in the sky. You're defeated and we've not even started yet. Where's your spirit?" She planted her hands on her hips, ignoring the shocked look on Martha's face as she asked McDonnell, "Who's got the passwords?"

Riley cut in, earning himself a glare from Jay for doing so because _honestly_ , she hadn't been speaking to _him_. "They're randomly generated. Reckon I know most of 'em."

"Riley, was it?" Riley nodded. The Doctor gave him a pointed look. "Then what're you waiting for, Riley? Get on it."

"Well," Riley said, heading over to grab some things. Jay didn't recognize the first of the objects, but inclined her head as he swung a massive backpack onto his back, the black cloth simmering hot. "It's a job that requires two people. One, it takes to answer the questions. Second to carry this. The oldest and cheapest security system around. Eh, Captain?"

McDonnell gave him a look. "Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?"

Ignoring the banter between the two, Jay snatched the equipment from his hands. "I'll help," she offered. "Martha, you help the Doctor." Jay was confident; Martha was cleverer than she was. She knew that. Jay couldn't so much as tie a shoe. But she knew equipment, had studied it as her father demanded. She knew precisely what to do with these pieces.

"Jay," Martha said warningly, worried about her friend, but Jay waved her off without concern. She could do this.

"It's remotely controlled by the computer panel," Riley explained as he and Jay headed away, the man leading the way with a kind look on his face.

"Oi!" the Doctor called suddenly. Jay paused to look back at he and Martha, and searched his gaze curiously. He frowned a little and warned, "Be careful."

"You, too," Jay said with a warm smile, and then added to Martha, "That goes for you, too, Miss Jones." Martha rolled her eyes but gave a little salute to show she would be careful. Pleased, Jay continued after Riley, chatting cheerfully with the man.

Martha watched her go anxiously, and then turned to the Doctor just as a voice came over the intercom, clearly male. _"McDonnell?"_ he said, sounding wary. _"It's Ashton."_ McDonnell fled to the intercom, preparing to answer, but before she could, Ashton said with a serious tone, "Get up to the med-centre now."

McDonnell's face paled and she was soon sprinting out of the room. The Doctor and Martha chased after her, not wanting to be left out of some kind of fun that might happen. Well, perhaps not fun, Martha thought as they bolted past a startled Jay and Riley, who had begun to set up to break through the doors. But something exciting for sure.

 _"Impact in thirty-four minutes and thirty-one seconds,"_ a computer declared as they ran past it.

They burst into a room in which a man was trying to pin down another upon a bed. A woman and a man who could only be Ashton was trying to pin him down as he screamed, spasming in agony.

"Korwin!" the woman cried. "It's Abi, open your eyes! I need to take a look at you!"

McDonnell rushed over with the Doctor a step behind her. Martha slid into a zone that she put to use, joining Abi beside the pained man. Abi eyed her warily and she said confidently, "I'm a doctor, let me help you."

Abi inclined her head, ignoring McDonnell's demand to know what was wrong as Korwin screamed, "Oh, God! It's burning me!"

"Ashton just brought him in," Abi told them, her eyes round with panic. Her dark frizzy hair was wild around her face as Martha reached out to touch his forehead, wincing at the heat of the fever he had.

"How long's he been like this?" The buzzing of the sonic screwdriver filled the air as the Doctor scanned Korwin. Korwin screamed in agony and McDonnell demanded to know what the hell he was doing and the Doctor said calmly, "Sonic impulse."

"Don't be stupid!" McDonnell snarled, ordering the Doctor to stop. "He's my husband!"

"And he's just sabotaged our ship!" was the shout that left Ashton as he glared at his captain.

Her face turned white. "What?"

"He went mad." Ashton gritted his teeth, keeping his hands on Korwin's shoulder to trap him. "He set the ship to secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls." McDonnell shook her head, denying the possibility. "I saw it happen, Captain."

"His eyes," Martha said suddenly, realizing that Korwin's eyes were screwed shut. "Korwin? Open your eyes for a second." The Doctor pressed forward, agreeing with the idea, but Korwin only wailed that he couldn't. "You can do it," Martha soothed, or, at least, attempted to.

"Don't make me look at you!" Korwin sobbed. "Please."

The Doctor's gaze darted around and locked on a dart gun that was resting on a tray. "Sedative?" he asked, glancing at Abi. She nodded curtly. "Watch out, Martha," he ordered, bumping her aside so that he could gently rest the tip against Korwin's neck. With one final shout upon being injected, Korwin was unconscious.

He handed the empty gun to Martha and she quietly put it on the tray he'd originally gotten it from. His gaze traveled quickly over Korwin and then to a device nearby. "Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings... keep him sedated in that stasis chamber there. Regulate the body temperature." This was said to Abi. "Martha, help her."

"Right." Martha helped Abi, who looked confused, push the bed that Korwin was in over to the stasis chamber.

As they did, the Doctor, narrowed his eyes in thought, and then added, "And just for fun, run a bioscan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

"On it now," Abi reassured, smiling in a friendly manner at Martha as Martha leaned in to look at the screen she'd turned to, her head tilted in curiosity. "And no one's presenting the same symptoms - just Korwin."

"Oh, you're good," the Doctor said with a beaming smile. He liked this young woman.

"Will someone tell me what's the matter with him?" McDonnell said with distress laced through her voice, fidgeting with her hands. She looked after her husband with worry, her eyes flickering uncertainly.

"Some sort of infection, right?" Martha said, glancing at the Doctor and he nodded. "We'll know more after those test results."

"As Martha said. _Allons-y_ , back down stairs!" the Doctor said cheerfully. "See about those engines...Ashton, was it? Go." Ashton sputtered, not looking inclined to obey the Doctor's orders. McDonnell glared at the Time Lord. " _Go_ ," the Doctor repeated firmly and with reluctance they both left. As he sauntered after them, he waved for Martha to follow and she did so with a sigh. He was all over the place today.

 _"Heat shields failing,"_ the computer read aloud to the ship as they hurried down the corridor for the engines. _At twenty-five percent. Impact in thirty-two minutes and fifty seconds."_

* * *

Jay watched Riley type something into a small keypad connected to the door that they were trying to unlock, her blue eyes somewhat irritated that it was taking so long. She leaped into action, however, when Riley said cheerfully, "Alright, fix the clamp on."

Jay nodded, lifting the clamp and attaching it to the door as she was told. She leaned into it to hold it there. Riley went back to typing and she cocked her head curiously. "What are you typing?" she asked.

"Each door's trip code is the answer to a random question set by the crew," Riley explained as he worked, not looking up at her. "Nine tours back, we got drunk and thought 'em up. Reckoning was if we're hijacked, we're the only ones who know all the answers."

"Are you stupid?" Jay demanded. "What if you forgot the answers?"

"The point is we didn't," Riley said hastily, tapping the backpack he wore. "This sends an unlock pulse to the clamp, but we only get one chance per door. If I get the question wrong, the whole system freezes. When I tell you to, press the trigger on the clamp. Hear me?"

"Again, you're all idiots," Jay said pointedly. "Don't get it wrong, alright?"

Riley grinned, looking amused with the young blonde. He narrowed his eyes as the screen suddenly read a question and he repeated it aloud for Jay. "'Date of SS Pentallian's first flight?'" He answered it with ease, and then said hastily, "Now!"

Jay pressed the trigger on the clamp and as the lights on it turned green, the door creaked open. "Yes!" Jay cheered, pleased she'd been able to do it. Together, they bolted through the door as quickly as they could. "Only twenty-eight more to go!" she announced as they went to work on the next.

* * *

Thoughtful as he wandered from the engine, which Scannell and McDonnell were trying to fix with Erina, to the intercom to check on everything, the Doctor frowned. They didn't have long, only close to half an hour. As concerned as he was about getting all of these people out and saving his poor TARDIS from the heat that it was dealing with, he was trying his hardest to keep calm. He'd dealt with Daleks in the Time War. He could deal with half an hour to stop a ship from sailing into a sun.

Of course, that was easier said than done. But he'd try.

Pressing the button on the intercom as Scannell instructed Martha to hand him something, the Doctor said quietly, "Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bioscan?"

 _"He's under heavy sedation,"_ Abi reported curtly, seeming to sound focused on something else. _"I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know."_

"Thank you," the Doctor said honestly. Abi was working just as hard as they were and for that, he was grateful. Moving on, he cleared his throat and said into the intercom, "Jay? Riley? How're you two doing?"

He heard Jay's voice answer in a chirping tone, cheerful yet a little strung out from stress. _"Area twenty-nine, Doctor, working on door twenty-eight!"_

The Doctor pressed his lips together. Not good. He put his glasses on, reading the number displayed on the screen for him. "You've gotta move faster," he urged. Only half an hour or so, he knew. Only half an hour before they burned up. And even a Time Lord couldn't survive that.

 _"We're doing our best,"_ Jay said gently.

Riley's voice suddenly popped in. _"Find the next number in the sequence: three hundred and thirteen, three hundred and thirty-one, three hundred and sixty-seven - what?!"_

Jay's tone became one of distress. _"You said your crew knew all of the answers!"_

 _"The crew's changed since we set the questions!"_ Riley cried back.

The Doctor's jaw worked furiously as he snapped into the intercom, not appreciating the lack of progress, "Three hundred and seventy-nine. It's a sequence of happy primes."

 _"Are you sure?"_ Riley demanded, sounding wary. _"We only get one chance."_

Irritated, the Doctor launched into a rant, mouth moving at a speed that had Martha giving him a groan of exasperation, because honestly! Didn't he know they couldn't comprehend what he was saying? "Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't isn't. A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime, now _type it in_."

 _"Just do it,"_ Jay ordered Riley.

"Listen to Jay," he encouraged.

There was a moment of silence in which the Doctor waited, resting his head against the heated metal wall with impatience creeping its way through his body. The silence seemed to stretch on for far too long before Jay suddenly cheered and cried, _"We're through!"_

"Good girl," the Doctor praised and grimaced. That sounded almost insulting. He'd never say that again. "Keep moving, fast as you can." He stepped a little bit away, running a hand down his face and plucking the frames from his nose. He took a deep breath, thinking, and then said quietly into the intercom, "And be careful, Jay. There may be something else on board this ship."

 _"Aye aye, captain,"_ she responded.

Chuckling, the Doctor went back to Martha and the others, grimacing as the computer read out, _"Impact in thirty minutes and fifty seconds."_

He found her standing beside McDonnell, Scannell, and Erina, all staring down at a mess of broken equipment. He crouched to investigate, thinking. Martha watched him, looking anxious as she said, "What do you think?"

"I think we need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time," the Doctor answered honestly. "Come on," he muttered to himself, smacking his forehead. 'Think! Resources, what have we got?!"

 _"Doctor?"_ Jay suddenly called over the intercom.

"What is it now?" the Doctor said somewhat crossly, busy with trying to think about what he needed to do.

 _"Who had the most number ones: Elvis or the Beatles? I don't know who either of those people are, but I mean pre-download."_

"Martha," the Doctor said desperately and she sputtered, glaring at him.

"What makes you think I'd know?!" Martha huffed as she went to go and speak closer to the intercom, deciding to call her mother and see if that would work.

"I don't know," he snapped, "I'm a bit busy!" He stared at the materials, thinking. "Now, where was I? Here comes the sun, no resources. So the power's still working, the generator's going. If we can harness that-"

"Use the generator to jump-start the ship," McDonnell finished with a slight faint smile. "Brilliant."

"I know, see? Tiny glimmer of hope," the Doctor bragged, and there was a brief moment of triumph in the air.

 _"Impact in twenty-nine minutes and forty-six seconds."_

From where she was standing, Martha said into the intercom, "Give me a second, Jay, I'm calling my mum to see if she knows the answer, okay?"

 _"Got it, but please hurry,"_ Jay pleaded.

Martha lifted the phone to her ear, praying that whatever the Doctor had done to it before they'd been dragged into this mess would work. She sucked in a startled breath when her mother picked up on the other end. _"Hello?"_ Francine Jones asked irritably, the sound of coffee brewing heard in the background.

"Mum?" Martha breathed. "It's me, Martha. I can't believe this worked."

 _"Where are you?"_ Francine sounded angry, her voice full of agitation. _"Don't you check your messages? I've been calling you."_

"Been a bit busy," Martha sighed, rolling her eyes. Now was not a good time for a lecture from her mother. "Need you to do something for me."

 _"No. Listen to me. We have to talk about this Doctor."_

Martha wanted to cry. Could she not just cooperate? She should have called Leo or Tish. One of them would have done what she needed without question - particularly Tish after everything they'd been through. Temper starting to bubble to the surface, because she _was_ an adult herself, Martha huffed. "Mum, please not now. I need you to look something up on the internet."

 _"Do it yourself,"_ Francine snapped. _"You've got a computer."_

She couldn't help it. "Oh, Just DO it, will you?!" she shouted, earning a large group of staring from the people behind her. The Doctor himself looked stunned, staring at her with wide eyes. Martha looked just as shocked as the rest of them. Martha hesitated, and then said, "Please."

 _"Damn, Martha,"_ she heard Jay mutter in a low voice through the intercom.

Martha rolled her eyes and then focused as Francine said crossly, _"When did you get so rude?"_ Her voice became muffled as she moved around. _"I'll tell you when. Ever since you met that man-"_

Martha cut her off, waving for the people behind her to get back to work. The Doctor smirked a little and did just that, ordering McDonnell to grab him something. "I need to know who had the most number ones: the Beatles or Elvis?"

 _"Hang on,"_ Francine muttered, grumbling. _"The mouse is unplugged."_ Martha made a motion before her, wanting to throttle the woman. Could she not just...for once in her life, do what Martha asked without making a fuss? _"Okay, I'm on. What is this? Pub quiz?"_ Martha agreed, and Francine scolded, _"Using your mobile is cheating, Martha."_

"Have you found it?" Martha wailed, impatiently.

 _"There's over four hundred thousand results, give me a minute!"_

 _"Martha…"_ Jay said anxiously just as the computer announced, _"Impact in twenty-eight minutes and fifty seconds."_

Another voice suddenly popped in, and the Doctor's head snapped up as Abi called, _"Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me. Korwin's body...it's changing! His whole biological make-up. It's...it's impossible-"_ She cut off with a gasp and the Doctor rose to his feet, a bad feeling in his gut as Martha looked between him and the intercom, not willing to move when Jay needed help. _"This is med-centre,"_ she suddenly cried, panicking. _"Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!"_

The Doctor's face tightened with panic and he bolted, shouting over his shoulder, "Everyone keep working! Martha, stay there and help Jay!"

"Right," Martha agreed, hand pressed over her phone even as she watched after him anxiously.

McDonnell fled after the Doctor, worried about her crew member, and Erina flew to another intercom system to reassure Abi, "Abi, don't worry, they're on their way."

 _"Martha?"_ Jay pleaded.

But they all fell silent as a voice said ominously over the intercom, _"Burn with me."_ It was deep and unhuman, unlike anything Martha could remember hearing, even more dark than that of the Judoon. Not quite as bad as the nightmare Jay had been imprisoned by, but close.

Scannell slid down the corridor, running after the Doctor and McDonnell as he cried, "Captain?!"

Martha briefly heard the Doctor cry out that he'd ordered Scannell to keep working, but then focused on her mother when Francine said, _"Elvis."_

"What?!" Martha blinked. "Really?" She pressed the button on the intercom, speaking into it. "Jay, it's Elvis! You're a star, Mum!"

 _"Got it, thanks, Martha!"_

 _"Burn with me."_ Martha shivered as the voice filled the air, and then became even darker and more furious as it screamed, _"Burn with me!"_

Martha waited by the intercom, biting her lip. Finally, Jay declared that they made it through and were running to the next one. Relieved, Martha opened her mouth to say goodbye to Francine only for Francine to say crossly, _"Now, we need to have a serious-"_ Screaming burst through the intercom, stopping everyone on the ship in their tracks when they realized it was Abi. Even Francine heard it and she demanded, _"What was that?"_

"I've gotta go," Martha whispered, hanging up without hesitation. She put her phone away and ran after the Doctor, shouting for him. The computer declared its time as she did so, announcing that they would crash in twenty-seven minutes and six seconds. When she burst into the med centre, she came across the Doctor, McDonnell, and Scannell standing there, all staring at a charred black humanoid shape on a wall. Martha gasped. "Oh, my God."

"You were supposed to stay with the intercom to help Jay," the Doctor said gently as he approached it carefully.

Martha rolled her eyes and said, "She can ask Erina for help. Doctor, is that-"

"Yes." The Doctor stepped forward to look at the burnt shape. He ran his fingers carefully around the outline of the burnt figure, his gaze dark with sorrow. He'd liked Abi. To see her like this was depressing. Far more depressing than anything else he'd seen so far today. "Endothermic vaporization. I've never seen one this ferocious." He glanced back at Martha, who was hugging herself as she looked at the burnt bit on the wall. As he watched, she turned and went to gather some things off the floor. "'Burn with me.'"

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell muttered, furrowing his brow as he exchanged a thoughtful look with McDonnell.

McDonnell became defensive, furious. "What?! D'ya think Korwin did this?! Korwin's not a killer. He can't...he can't do _this_." She waved angrily at the burnt Abi, her eyes full of angry tears. "He's human!"

"Doctor," Martha called, offering out the sheets she'd gathered. The Doctor strode over and took them from her, studying them and holding them so that she could see. His gaze swept expertly over them, and he silently thanked Abi for gathering the results.

"His bioscan results," the Doctor told her. "Internal temperature was one hundred degrees!" He looked stunned as he added, "Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen! Your husband wasn't infected, McDonnell. He's been overwhelmed!"

McDonnell plucked them away, hands shaking as she snarled, "The test results are wrong!"

Martha thought over what they'd heard and seen so far. Her dark eyes studied McDonnell and then Scannell with her lips pressed together. Finally, she asked the Doctor, "You said overwhelmed...could it be something like a parasite then? A virus? Something that needs a host?"

"Could be," the Doctor mused, nodding slowly. "The question is how did it get inside of him?"

McDonnell sounded hysterical as she shrieked, "Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!"

Ignoring her, the Doctor questioned, "Where's the ship been? Have you made planet-fall recently?" She stared at him blankly, clearly not understanding what he was trying to get at. "Docked with other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all? We've got to stop him before he kills again."

"We're...we're just a cargo ship," she whispered, turning away with a whimper. Martha watched Scannell step forward and touch her arm to comfort her. The Doctor huffed, impatient.

"Doctor," Martha said quietly, "give her a moment."

"No," McDonnell whispered. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I'm fine. I need to warn the crew." She ignored the way Scannell looked at her with concern and instead hurried over to the intercom Abi had been screaming for help through, ignoring the scorch marks in favor of saying into the intercom, "Everybody listen to me! Something has infected Korwin. We think he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

 _"Understood, Captain,"_ Ashton said back in response.

 _"Understood,"_ Jay's voice echoed with Riley's.

Taking another deep breath, McDonnell went to sit down, running a hand through her mess of dark hair. Scannell kept close to her, watching the Doctor and Martha suspiciously. "Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?" The Doctor shrugged wordlessly, still looking at the results. "Don't lie to me," Doctor," McDonnell snapped, her jaw working furiously. "Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together…he keeps me honest. I don't want false hope."

"The parasite's too aggressive," the Doctor said with a sigh, finally looking up. His gaze swam with sorrow as he searched her gaze. "Your husband's gone. There's no way back. I'm so sorry."

She nodded, looking a little unsurprised yet sad. "Thank you."

Martha abandoned the Doctor to go over to her. She took her hand, ignoring the frown on McDonnell's face as she gave it a gentle squeeze and asked, "Are you...are you certain that nothing happened to provoke this?" She kept her voice quiet, beseeching McDonnell with her eyes. "Nobody's working on anything secret? It's really vital that you tell him." Martha nodded towards the Doctor.

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives." McDonnell spoke briskly, her face turning away. "There is _nothing_."

Martha furrowed her brow and looked at the Doctor. He nodded. They were thinking the same thing. There was something McDonnell wasn't telling them, and Martha had no doubt in her mind that they would find out.

* * *

Jay cheered as the door before them opened and let them step through. She and Riley burst into a sprint for the next door. Without hesitation, knowing now what needed to be done, Jay got to work and Riley did the same, looking at the door's panel as Jay called into the intercom upon reaching out to press the button, "Doctor, we're through to area seventeen!"

 _"Keep going,"_ he answered a brief moment later, voice laced with encouragement and worry. _"You've got to get to area one and reboot those engines, Jay."_

"Working on it," she promised.

 _"Heat shield failing,"_ the computer reported over the intercom. _"At twenty percent."_

Riley suddenly smacked the computer, eyes flickering anxiously. "Come on, work! Everything on this ship is so cheap!" Jay opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off when there was a sudden loud bang from behind them. Riley turned to look and so did she, both of them watching anxiously. "Who's there?!"

Nothing. Jay and Riley exchanged a look and didn't dare move as a figure appeared through some smoke. Sweat dripped from Jay's temple as she whispered, voice trembling, "Is...is that Korwin?"

"No," Riley said after a moment. He squinted a little, and then relaxed a little. "Ashton, what're you doing?"

In a deep, out of the world sounding voice, Ashton breathed, "Burn with me." Jay's eyes widened in fear and Riley stiffened beside her as he lifted a hand to remove the shield that covered his eyes. "Burn with me!" he cried. "Burn with me!"

Jay panicked and slammed her hand over the nearest button she could. it opened a door. "Move!" she cried as it began to slide open. The second it was open, they squeezed through the gaps and Riley followed her into a small area, punching a keypad that closed the door behind them. When it was completely closed, Jay and Riley exchanged faint smiles, relieved.

But a pound on the door had them jumping. Ashton was looking through a small window, his helmeted head easily seen. Riley whirled away and quickly typed in a combination on a keypad that opened a small hatch next to them. "In!" he ordered and Jay dove inside. He shut the door behind them, crying, "What is happening on this ship?!"

"That doesn't matter right now." Jay frowned at the space around her, biting her lip nervously. "Where-"

 _"Airlock sealed. Jettison escape pod."_

"Oh." Jay's face paled. Riley swore and lunged for the keypad within the escape pod. Shaking the pins and needles from her wrists and swallowing thickly as she watched Riley try to work on the keypad as, on the outside, Ashton appeared, Jay leaned in to the intercom within the escape pod and pressed the button, saying faintly, "Doctor? Martha? Doctor, we...we need help." A soft sound of fear escaped her when the screen displayed before Riley read "Jettison initiated." "Martha, Doctor, please, we're stuck in an escape pod off of area seventeen. One of the crew's trying to jettison us. Please. Help us." She released the button, looking desperately to Riley with frightened eyes. "Please tell me you can stop this?"

"I can try," he said, sweat dripping from his temples as he typed furiously on the keypad to reverse the process.

 _"Jettison held."_

Jay groaned, resting her head briefly in relief on the man's shoulder. "Thank you, heavens around us," she breathed.

 _"Jettison reactivated."_

They froze and Riley swore before getting back to work on desperately trying to reverse the process again. Outside, Jay could see a hint of Ashton, likely trying to restart the process. Her body trembled with terror as Riley struggled to type as fast as he could. "Come on, Riley," she breathed.

Riley sounded confident as he said to her, "Geovinsci sequence, this'll get him. Don't worry." He typed it in and then sat back, waiting to see what happened.

Even as Ashton continued to try and restart the sequence a third time, the computer read out loud, _"Jettison held. Escape pod stabilized."_

Jay laughed faintly and patted his arm. "You're good."

He winked flirtily at her. "I know."

And then everything went back to despair as the computer announced, _"Jettison activated."_

Riley gave a cry of irritation and tried to fix it, but only grew more desperate. Finally, he sat back, feeling numb as he said sorrowfully, "He's smashed the circuit, Jay. I can't stop it." Panic set in, and he slammed a hand against the wall, shouting, "I can't stop it!"

 _"Airlock sealed."_

Jay pressed her face to the window, trying to see through it. Surely their help would arrive. She slammed a hand against it when through it, she saw a glimpse of the Doctor. Relief coursed through her. He'd get them out. She heard his voice over the intercom shout, _"McDonnell! Ashton's heading in your direction! He's been infected, just like Korwin!"_

 _"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod."_

It struck Jay a moment later that there was no escaping their fate. Her face became full of calm realization that turned to acceptance as she saw the Doctor's face appear in the window. Martha was peering through with horror beside him. Both looked stunned. The Doctor started shouting something, but Jay couldn't hear him. Nor could she hear what Martha said when she shouted something, too.

She could only see the looks on their faces as the pod disengaged, sending them spinning towards the sun.

* * *

Martha continued to stare out at the escape pod from where she stood even as the Doctor slammed his hand onto the intercom button, snarling into it, "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area seventeen. Now."

 _"What for?"_

The Doctor exploded, anger and frustration blasting through him. He'd just watched Jay, his companion and Martha and his friend, be sent flying away in an escape pod, heading straight for the sun. His jaw worked furiously as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "JUST GET DOWN HERE!"

Martha jumped, staring at him in surprise. He gave her an apologetic look. Even as angry as he felt, he didn't blame her. She was innocent in all of this, working as hard as she could alongside him. "Doctor," she said suddenly, searching his gaze. "We'll get her back, right?"

"I'm going to do it now," he said seriously. He patted her arm reassuringly, and then looked past her as Scannell came hurrying down the corridor with a heavy piece of space equipment in his arms. "I need you to make sure this bloke does everything I say."

"I will," she reassured confidently. "Don't you worry about a thing."

The Doctor flashed her a warm look and then began the long process of dressing in the spacesuit the second that he had it. Scannell silently helped him into it, even as he said darkly, "I can't let you do this. You wanna open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun! No one can survive that!"

"You're wasting your breath, Scannell," the Doctor told him, calmly fixing a few things on the suit. "You're not gonna stop me. Just you watch. I'll be just fine."

"This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you," Scannell warned.

"Stop being such a downer and just trust him," Martha snapped, and the Doctor waved at her.

"Listen to her," he said, smiling briefly at the woman. "She's smart. If I can breach the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetize the pod. That'll bring them back. While I'm out there, you have to get the rest of those doors open. Martha, help him. We need those auxiliary engines."

"Doctor, will you listen?" Scannell demanded with irritation, frustrated. "They're too far away, it's too late!"

Martha rounded on him and surprised them all by shoving him hard. He stumbled a few steps, blinking. "Oh, shut up will you! Jay will be okay. She has to be. We're not going to lose her. Now come on, let's go."

The Doctor gave her an approving look and then slid past the airlock door. It closed behind him and the computer announced, _"Decompression initiating. Impact in twelve minutes and fifty-five seconds."_

It took much too long for the airlock to finally decompress. By the time it had, the computer had announced that there would be impact with the sun in eleven minutes and fifteen seconds and that the heat shield was failing at ten percent. The Doctor took a deep breath before pressing a button on the keypad within the airlock chamber, opening it so that he could do what needed to be done.

Heat slammed into him, and he flinched. It was horrible, and he found himself squinting through the brightness. Recovering quickly, he gripped the frame of the airlock chamber and then began the long struggle to try and reach the buttons that would bring back Jay and Riley. It was challenging, hauling himself out into the outer hull, and then nearly was sucked right away from them when he started reaching. He grunted as he struggled to reach for them, sweat slicking his hair to his forehead. "Come on," he muttered desperately, grinning briefly when he managed to catch the right button.

His gaze shifted to the box just to the right of them, and his face became grim. That would be even harder a reach. He tried and found it just barely out of his reach, hissing under his breath as he tried to catch it.

 _"Doctor,"_ Martha's voice said suddenly in his helmet, worried. _"Are you doing okay?"_

The Doctor tried again, and then cried, the heat beginning to bother him, "I can't reach!"

 _"You can do it,"_ Martha said encouragingly, her tone laced with worry for him. _"I know you can. Don't give up, okay?"_

He smiled faintly and then managed to suddenly grab the box. He gave a gasp and yanked the cover off, reaching for the lever within. It hurt him, stretching so far, but he ignored the pain in favor of yanking it down.

Laughing faintly, he began the struggle to get back in. It took him a few minutes before he did and when he did, he spun around on his knees, looking out through the airlock, staring at the molten surface of the sun. His face filled with shock as he realized the truth.

"It's alive!"

* * *

"Now!" Scannell ordered, and Martha flew through the door with McDonnell, both preparing to open the next door. Martha was proud; they'd managed to reach area ten. Just ten more to go and they'd reach the auxiliaries like the Doctor had said they'd need to. "Martha, tell him to close the airlock. It'll smash into him!"

Martha moved to do just that, but McDonnell shoved the clamp at him. "Stay here," she ordered, eyes firm. "I'll go and help him. Martha, keep going."

Martha wavered, but nodded, calling into the intercom anyways, "Doctor, close the airlock! We're in area ten, almost there."

No response had her biting her lip nervously, particularly when the computer announced, " _Impact in eight minutes and fifty-seven seconds."_

* * *

Jay was near tears in relief when the door opened back up. She flew out of it, Riley clambering out with tears in his eyes, too. Jay froze, however, when she discovered the Doctor writhing in pain on the floor. She ran over, her hands shaking. She could feel the pins halfway up her arm as she said, "Doctor, what's-"

"Stay away from me," he snarled, making her jump away when his eyes opened a little. Her eyes rounded with shock at the sight of the brilliant light that escaped his eyes. That was certainly not normal. Riley pulled her further back.

"What's happened?" McDonnell was there, her face full of fear and confusion as she looked at the Doctor.

He turned on her immediately, voice losing the strange deep sound that had accompanied it a moment before. "It's your fault, Captain McDonnell."

McDonnell's expression flickered to shock before she regained her composure. She shot a glare at Riley. "Riley, get down to area ten and help Scannell and Martha with the doors. Go!" Riley faltered only briefly before running off. Jay stayed, not wanting to leave the Doctor as he grunted in pain.

His voice was raised to a shout as he spoke to the captain. "You mined that sun! Stripped its surface for cheap fuel! You should have scanned for _life_! They scooped out its heart and used it for fuel. Now it's _screaming_."

"Oh, my God," Jay breathed in realization. "The sun's _alive_?"

McDonnell's voice lifted in panic, her hands shaking as she snapped, "What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why's he saying that?" Her last question was thrown to Jay, and Jay only stared at the Doctor in horror, understanding what was going on without him needing to say.

"Oh, my God," she repeated, "it's...it's in you, isn't it?"

"Humans," the Doctor spat, and Jay knew the anger he held wasn't directed at her or Martha, or even the rest of the crew. Mostly at McConnell. She'd known that she shouldn't have been doing this. And she'd done it anyways. "You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry. You should have scanned!"

"It takes too long!" McDonnell shouted, her cheeks streaked with tears. "We'd be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal."

The Doctor groaned, flinching as pain washed over him. Jay shifted uneasily, sensing that he was fighting the sun in him. "You've got to freeze me," he told her, turning his head in her direction. "Stasis chamber. You gotta keep me below negative two-hundred. Freeze it out of me." A cry left him, and Jay found herself near tears, worried for him. When he spoke again, fear had crept into his voice. "It'll use me to kill you if you don't. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets."

"Right," Jay breathed, grabbing his arm and struggling to get him upright. She shot a look at the frozen woman nearby. "Help me," she shouted, snapping McDonnell out of her numb shock. McDonnell grabbed his free arm and began to help Jay yank him towards the med-centre.

It was hard work, lugging the Doctor through the ship but they finally made it to the med-centre. When they did, Jay realized that she had no idea how to use the stasis chamber. "Jay," the Doctor said, suddenly turning his head desperately, and Jay touched his cheek affectionately.

"Right here," she promised. "Stasis chamber, negative two-hundred. I know. McDonnell, help me." McDonnell did just that, protesting that the Doctor would be killed if he was put in such a circumstance, but Jay leveled her with a sharp look and said confidently, "He's not human. If he claims he can survive this, he can."

McDonnell hesitated, and then nodded. "I'll take care of the stasis chamber," she said.

"Ten seconds," the Doctor said, flinching within the stasis chamber. "That's all I'll be able to take. No more."

"On it," Jay murmured, ignoring the cry that suddenly left his mouth. He seemed so scared, something that Jay had never thought she'd see in the Doctor's face. Even the Daleks had brought only hatred to his gaze. "Stay calm. You saved Martha and I, so now I'll return the favor. Believe in me like we believe in you."

"Jay, it's ready," McDonnell called and Jay abandoned him to join her. "Pull this lever." She showed the young blonde which one and Jay curled her fingers over it as the computer announced that the heat shields were failing at five percent. She took a deep breath and then yanked. They watched together as the number on the screen began to run down, and they held their breath as the Doctor groaned.

And then the machine suddenly shut off just as the screen read at negative seventy. "No!" the Doctor shouted, "you can't stop it, not yet!"

McDonnell's eyes were wide with shock and she looked to Jay. "The power's been cut in engineering."

Jay looked at her with desperation, her body trembling. "But who's down there?"

"Leave it to me." McDonnell gave her a firm look, and then turned and bolted. Jay watched her go with widened eyes, and then turned her attention onto the Doctor when he gasped. She bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed, saying anxiously, "You're defrosting…"

"Go!" he gasped. She stiffened, immediately protesting, but he insisted, "Jay. _Go_. I've only got a moment. You have to go. Take Martha and get to the front. Vent the engines. Sun particles are in the fuel. Get rid of them."

"No," Jay said evenly, "I'm not leaving you alone, Doctor."

He grew angry, his voice lifting with a hint of deadly undertone to it. "You've got to, give back what they took!"

Jay thought it over before shaking her head. "I'm not going anywhere," she said fiercely, eyes blazing. "But I'll tell Martha." She turned and scurried over to where the intercom was. She slammed her hand over the button, saying hastily into it, "Martha! Martha, can you hear me?"

There was a moment of never ending silence before Martha's voice said raspily, _"Yeah, I hear you. I'm looking for a tool the guys said they might need to help reboot the auxiliary engines, though I suspect they just wanted me out of the way..."_

Jay bit her lip, hissing in pain, and then said quickly into the intercom, "The Doctor said we need to get to the front of the ship and vent the engines. We need to get rid of the sun particles in the fuel. I won't leave him alone though."

 _"Got it, I'm going now. Be careful, Jay."_

"You, too." Jay rested her head on the metal wall, flinching a little at the heat as she listened to the Doctor nearly scream in pain where he was still hiding in the stasis chamber. She swallowed thickly. Under her breath, she whispered, "Hurry, Martha…"

 _"Impact in three minutes and forty-three seconds."_

* * *

Martha ran like she'd never run before. It was a common theme when you were with the Doctor, she noticed. You were always running for your life, although she couldn't say she'd have it any other way. She told herself that she'd call her mother when they were safe, tell her that she loved her in case anything like this happened again.

Sweat stuck to her as she bolted through a door and down another corridor, the wall beside her reading that she was in area eight. She was heaving for air, barely able to breathe when she heard McDonnell's voice fill the air over the intercom. _"Riley, Scannell,"_ McDonnell said softly. _"I'm sorry."_

Martha ignored the sounds of the two men shouting McDonnell's name, forcing herself to keep up her speed even as the computer announced throughout the ship, _"Exterior airlock opened."_ Her heart ached; another dead.

 _"Impact in two minutes and seventeen seconds. Survival element protection: zero percent."_

* * *

"Jay!" She snapped her head around at the sound of the Doctor shouting her name. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that he'd pried himself out of the stasis chamber, and he gasped, "I can't fight it."

"Doctor-"

"Burn with me," he rasped, and Jay froze in terror when she saw his eyes open, full of light that was anything but human. She pressed her back to the wall, panic taking over. "Burn with me!"

"Martha," she called into the intercom, reaching to press the button. "Hurry up!" A sob built in her throat when the light seemed to intensify. She adored the Doctor just as much as Martha did, but right now, she found she was frightened of him. She shook pins and needles from her arms, shivering as she edged towards the door.

 _"Impact in one minute and twenty-one seconds."_

* * *

 _"Impact in one minute and six seconds."_

Martha rounded the final corner and nearly plowed into the first area, her breath rasping painfully in her throat. "Vent the engines," she wheezed to Riley and Scannell, who'd just gotten the door open and couldn't get the auxiliary engines to work. "Dump the fuel."

They stared at her, confused. "What?" Scannell said finally.

"Sun particles...in the fuel." Martha doubled over, struggling to get the words out past her wheezing. "Get rid of them. _Now_."

Riley exchanged a look with Scannell and together, the two remaining survivors of the crew flew into action. They ran for a series of dials, spinning them in order to release the fuel. "Turn the one over there!" Scannell shouted to her, and Martha lunged for it, spinning the dial he'd pointed to. She yelped when the ship lurched awkwardly, nearly sending her to the floor. She screwed her eyes shut in a panic as the lurching finally sent her to her rear on the floor, and she nearly slammed her head on a piece of machinery, her heart racing in a panic.

"How're we gonna fly?" Riley cried in a panic.

And then the computer announced, _"Impact averted. Impact averted."_

They all stopped for a moment, staring at each other. All of them panted for air, all sprawled out on the ground. Cautiously, Scannell climbed to his feet. Riley seemed to be near tears, crying with a breathless laugh as he climbed to his feet, "We're clear, we're clear! We've got just enough in reserves!"

Martha climbed to her feet as well, smiling faintly, but then she spun on her heel. She had people to check on. Her stomach aching with anxiety, she ran for her friends.

* * *

Jay was sobbing in relief by the time the light had entirely left the Doctor's eyes, her cheeks streaked with her tears. She stumbled over after the lurching stopped, and he laughed with an exhausted look as she threw her arms around him in a hug that he willingly returned. "Oh, thank God," she breathed.

"Good job," he praised despite having ordered her to leave. "Help me up?"

Between the two of them, the Doctor was able to get up in time for Martha to come barreling into the med-centre, and when she did, she immediately hugged the Doctor. He smiled brightly, lifting her into the air with a happy hum, and when he set her down, Jay found herself enveloped in a hug, too.

Jay awkwardly patted Martha's back, laughing tiredly. "I don't understand this hugging business, but I like it," she told them, and Martha only squeezed her tighter.

* * *

After the ship had cooled enough and they'd all taken a break, resting, the trio of travellers went to check on the TARDIS. Riley and Scannell went with them, Riley inquiring as to whether or not Jay was okay. Jay smiled at him and patted his arm reassuringly, looking pleased with his concern. The Doctor wasn't exactly bouncing with energy as he normally was, but he smiled warmly when they stepped into the once over-heated area and found his ship in perfect condition.

"This is your ship?" Scannell said as he studied the blue box, stunned.

Jay rested her fingers on the wood as the Doctor walked around the TARDIS with Martha, making sure she was okay. The song, content that the TARDIS' residents were safe, hummed to her. The Doctor peered curiously around the corner at her, interested. Why was the TARDIS so vocal with the young woman? Yet, he said cheerfully, "Compact! Another good word...robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."

Martha nodded, pleased, and then looked over at Riley and Scannell. "We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel."

"We've sent out an official mayday," Riley reassured with a warm smile. "The authorities will pick us up soon enough." He exchanged a look with Scannell. "Not sure how we explain what happened…"

The Doctor, halfway through opening the TARDIS door, paused and told them, "Just tell them. That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing." Scannell nodded and with a final wave, they were leaving he and Riley behind, sliding into the TARDIS.

When they were inside, Martha hummed and flounced further in. The Doctor faltered, watching her with a sorrowful look, and Jay touched his arm. "Are you okay?" she asked, studying his face.

Rather than answering, the Doctor grinned and nearly replicated Martha's bouncy steps, crying cheerfully, "Now! What do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Cuhlhan. Fancy it?"

Jay smiled as she leaned against the railing, although her blue eyes shone with concern. She replaced it with amusement when Martha eagerly agreed, and she gave her own nod of approval. She'd never heard of ice skating or Cuhlhan. Both sounded fascinating.

"Oh! By the way, you'll be needing these," the Doctor added suddenly, holding up two chains complete with a key on the end. Jay's jaw dropped. Martha gasped. Both stopped to stare disbelievingly and the Doctor chuckled, dropping one into her hand before holding the other out for Jay to grab as she joined them. "Frequent flier's privilege," he told Jay, and she gave him a puzzled look, still not understanding.

Smiling at them both, Martha said, "I'm going to go and call my mum, see if she's doing alright. Can you wait for me?"

"I think we can," the Doctor said, looking at Jay as he flipped a switch, "don't you?"

Jay nodded and admitted, "I'm going to go and take a nap, I believe. I'm exhausted from all of that panicking. Nearly ending up burned alive in an escape pod will do that to you." The Doctor furrowed his brow, not looking happy with that description, but she merely touched his arm, patted Martha's arm, and sidled away, leaving Martha to call her mother and the Doctor to steer the TARDIS, grimacing as she shook the pain from her arms.

* * *

 _Fun chapter to write. Next up is the Family because, as pointed out by Arashi - IV of VI, they're somewhat important. And after that we'll be having some Weeping Angels. So excited for them to show up._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Guest #1 and Arashi -IV of VI) as well as those who favorited and followed! I seriously appreciate it!_


	7. Human Nature

When John Smith's eyes snapped open, words from a man that looked like him echoing in his ears, it was because there was a knock on his office - and room - door. Grunting softly under his breath, he sat up, rubbing tiredly at an eye. "Come in," he called, yawning a little after speaking.

The door opened and a young woman dressed in a maid's uniform entered: Martha, he knew. Her hair was tied into a bun, her dark eyes lowered to make sure she watched where she stepped as she balanced a tray of breakfast in her hands. Her gaze flicked up for a moment and her eyes dropped after widening a fraction, her body turning away. "Pardon me, Mr. Smith," Martha said tersely, sounding somewhat annoyed, "you're not dressed yet. I can come back later."

John hurried to grab a dressing gown thrown over the end of his bed, tugging it on and tying it shut as he reassured, "No, it's alright. Put it down."

With a brief moment of hesitation, Martha turned and walked to the small table off to the side, setting the tray of breakfast down atop it. She kept her gaze lowered as she stepped back, folding her hands in front of her and spinning on her heel. He watched her as she crossed the room to open the curtains, throwing them open with ease. With a wary look in his eyes, John told her, "I was...sorry. Sometimes I have these...extraordinary dreams."

Martha's shoulders tensed a little as she asked, "What about, sir?"

"I dream I'm this...adventurer," he said, frowning slightly. "This...daredevil, a madman. The Doctor, I'm called. And last night, I dreamed that you and this other woman was there...as my…" He became a little flustered, not liking the word he was using as he finished. "Companion."

Martha snorted softly, retreating back to the tray to make sure a final time that everything was there. "A teacher, a housemaid, and a stranger, sir? That's impossible."

"Ah, perhaps," John admitted, moving towards the fireplace in the room. He was studying a watch atop the mantle, lost in thought. It was small, a fob watch that wouldn't have garnered much notice on any other day - nor had he noticed it really before then. Martha took notice and watched with an almost hopeful expression on her face. But he turned away and she slumped a little as he said, "It's funny how dreams slip away." He turned back to Martha, looking amused with himself. "But I do remember one thing. It all took place in the future, in the year of our Lord, two-thousand and seven."

Martha's smile softened and she told him proudly as she shook out a newspaper she'd brought up for him, "I can prove that wrong for you, sir. Here's the morning paper." She handed it to him. She smiled as she tapped it and added, "It's Monday, tenth of November in the year nineteen-thirteen, and you're completely human, sir. As human as they come."

"Mm, that's me," he agreed, studying the front page. "Completely human."

He missed the way Martha's expression darkened with despair as she turned away.

A few hours later found the young woman on her hands and knees with a cheerful maid named Jenny, scrubbing the tiled floor of the school with a hard brush. She glanced up when John walked by and smiled at him, wishing him a good morning, but was disappointed when he barely responded. Jenny watched him go with a sigh. "Head in the clouds, that one." She went back to scrubbing, smirking at Martha. "Don't know why you're so sweet on him."

Martha wanted to tell her newfound friend the truth. About who he really was, who she was. But she couldn't. _We have to be human,_ she told herself, and then added, _At least, we have to be humans in the year nineteen-thirteen._

"He's kind to me," she huffed, scrubbing furiously. "That's all. not everyone's that considerate, what with me being…" She gestured to her face, indicating the darkness of her skin. She hated this time period and all of the ones before it regarding the discrimination. She wished they could have ended up in another galaxy. At least then she wouldn't have been looked down upon.

"A Londoner?" Jenny said with a wink, her expression softening, and Martha laughed. She adored this maid, who'd taken her under her wing when John Smith and Martha had walked into town, seeking work. But Martha still missed Jay. She hoped she was doing well, or at least better than Martha was.

As they went back to scrubbing the floor, giggling, a pair of boys suddenly paused and Martha fought the urge to scowl when one, who she knew to be named Baines after being tormented by the boy, sneered, "Ah, now then, you two. You're not paid to have fun. Put a little backbone into it."

Jenny lost her smile and quickly scrubbed harder. "Yes, sir," she mumbled, "I apologize, sir."

The other boy, Hutchinson, looked to Martha with a smirk, and Martha bit the inside of her cheek as hard as she dared. "You there, what's your name again?" Martha answered truthfully, making sure to stay polite. "Tell me then, Jones. With hands like those, how can you tell when something's clean?"

Martha wished she could have decked the boy. She wasn't fond of teenage boys to begin with; these young men were reminding her why. As they snickered and left, she muttered sarcastically under her breath, "Very funny, sir."

"Martha," Jenny warned. "Careful now, don't answer back."

"I'd answer back with my bucket over his head," Martha muttered, and Jenny threw her head back and laughed.

"Oh, I wish," she giggled. After a soft sigh, she said, "Just think though. In a few years time, boys like that will be running the country."

Martha didn't lift her head from where she was staring at the floor she was scrubbing. "Nineteen-thirteen," she muttered, thinking of the horrific war that would come the next year and kill millions. "They might not."

Jenny and Martha kept up the scrubbing for what seemed like ages, making sure each little space was clean. They knew it was worthless; the floors would need scrubbing again within the next few days. The boys liked to trample mud on them on purpose, just so they'd have more work to do. There was only a few of the boys who would politely come by in the dead of the night to sweep the mud off if they could, and Martha knew precisely which ones to sneak treats to if she went by the kitchens.

It was just as they were finished that Martha heard one boy tell a few others as they walked by that he'd heard one Mr. Smith had fallen down a flight of stairs. Without hesitation, Martha left Jenny alone, running.

He may not have been the Doctor right now, but he was somewhere deep down. And she worried about him. So, when she reached the matron's room, she burst in without hesitation, not bothering to knock, and cried, "Is he alright?"

Matron Joan Redfern paused to give her a nasty look, and Martha grimaced. _Oops_. "Excuse me, Martha," Joan said rather coldly. "It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking."

Martha huffed softly and strode back to the door and knocked on it before hurrying back in. "But is he alright?" She studied the Doctor - no, she told herself when she saw his surprised, flustered expression. John Smith. "They said you fell down the stairs, sir."

"No," he said, cheeks red. "It was just a tumble, that's all."

Martha addressed Joan, entirely forgetting who she was supposed to pretend to be as she asked, "Have you checked for a concussion?"

Joan gave her quite a nasty look. "I have," she said irritably, "and I daresay I know a lot more about it than you."

Martha wanted to retort something about how likely that was, but she pushed the anger from her mind and reminded herself of her current standing in the world. She'd kill him for this, she decided. "Sorry," she muttered, "I'll just...um, tidy your things." She glanced at the Doctor for a moment and then went to do just that at the professor's desk.

"I was just telling Nurse Redfern - _Matron_ ," he corrected, and a cold stone filled her gut. Something was going to happen, and it wouldn't be good. John smiled a little, as if amused with himself. "About my dreams. They are quite remarkable tales," he added to Joan. "I keep imagining that I'm someone else and that I'm hiding."

Joan looked at him with interest. "Hiding? In what way?" she asked.

Rather than answering that question in particular, the Doctor tilted his head and mused, "Almost every night…" He laughed to himself. "This is going to sound silly, but I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts."

Martha's own heart twisted with pain at that, and even more so when Joan chuckled. "I can be the judge of that," Joan said. Martha watched out of the corner of her eye, straightening papers as Joan found a stethoscope and used it to check his heart, claiming that he only had one heart.

John laughed again, and Martha wished that he could laugh like that all the time. Even when he was happy as the Doctor, he was always suffering deep, deep down. It hurt her to think that the only way for him to be truly happy without burden was to find another way of life that didn't involve his most beloved possessions - and memories of people like Rose Tyler, who though she hated being second place to, had been more than just a some random dreamed up person to him.

"I have written down some of these dreams," John said cheerfully, and Martha bit the inside of her cheek as he continued, climbing to his feet, "in the form of fiction...not that it would be of any interest." This was tacked on with a hint of a blush to his cheeks. Joan insisted, and he sighed as he stood and went over to the desk Martha had just tidied. "Well...I've never shown it to anyone before."

With a smile, he removed it and handed it over. Joan took it with gentle hands and Martha felt a spike of unnecessary jealousy. " _Journal of Impossible Things,_ " Joan said aloud, nodding in approval at the title. She began to flip through the pages, her eyes widening and a gasp escaping her. "Just look at these creatures! Such imagination."

John hummed in response. "It's become quite a hobby," he said honestly. And it was. It took up quite a bit of free time, drawing and writing.

"It's wonderful," Joan breathed. "And quite an eye for the pretty girls," she added teasingly, tapping a sketch of a woman's face within the journal.

John became flustered. "Oh, no! No, she's just an invention. This character...Rose, I call her. Rose. She seems to disappear later on..." Martha's stomach twisted violently at the name. She'd hated Rose at first, when she'd first realized that the Doctor was in love with her. Still was. She doubted he'd ever lose that love. To hear him speak so carelessly about his previous companion...it hurt. What care did he give she and Jay if this was the case?

"Ah," he said suddenly, smiling as he reached out to touch a small sketch. "That's the blue box. It's always there, like a magic carpet. This funny little box that transports me to far away places." His expression softened. "I sometimes think how magical life would be if things like this were true, but it's only a dream." He laughed softly and then a bell rang, and he blinked. "Oh! Time to teach," he announced.

Joan closed the journal and smiled warmly. "Thank you for letting me look," she said, immediately moving to hand it back, but John pushed it back at her. She blinked as they studied each other's face in silence. Finally, she smiled, understanding. She tucked it safely under her arm and said, "Careful with your head, Mr. Smith. I believe we'll see each other around."

"Certainly," he said pleasantly and watched as she left. Martha faltered, studying him, but then bolted after Joan. That journal was so important. If it fell into the wrong hands-

"Ma'am!" Martha cried as she caught sight of Joan. Joan stopped to look back at her, alarmed. "That book," Martha began, breathless.

"Oh, I'll look after it, don't worry," Joan said, furrowing her brow a little. "He did say I could read it." She turned to leave, but Martha stopped her again.

"But it's silly that's all." Joan turned around again to look at Martha evenly as the maid added, "Just...stories."

Joan took a few steps towards her, thinking. She stopped a few inches away and asked quietly, "Who is he, Martha?" Martha blinked, questioning her on what she meant, and Joan clarified. "It's like he's left the kettle on. Like he knows he has something to get back to, but he can't remember what. You arrived with him, didn't you? He found you employment here at the school, isn't that right?"

The words felt bitter in her mouth. "I used to work for the family, he just kind of inherited me."

"Well, I'd be careful." Joan's eyes sharpened a little, and Martha pressed her lips together unhappily. "If you don't mind me saying, you sometimes seem a little familiar with him. Best remember your positions, Martha." And with that, accompanied by a sharp nod, Joan left Martha standing there alone.

Martha curled her lip a little, wanting nothing more than to slap the woman.

 _Only one month,_ she told herself, and then smiled as she went to go and find Jenny. She was, at least, going to be able to see Jay tonight. She hoped the other woman was holding up better than she was, even while being stuck in a world she knew less about than Martha's original year.

* * *

From where she was weaving among the crowded village pub, Jayden O'Connors vowed to commit murder for the first time in her life and nearly sobbed in relief when she emerged from the damn building and found Martha waiting outside, wrapped up tightly in a coat with a hat perched upon her head and gloves cladding her hands. Martha looked ready to cry upon seeing her.

"Jay!" she cried, ignoring the fact that Jay held two large drinks in hand in favor of hugging her tightly.

"Martha," Jay murmured in relief. "I've never been happier to see someone in my life. Are you doing okay? It feels like it's been ages...I can't believe it's only been two and a half weeks!"

"Not really, but...oh, it's freezing out here! Why don't we go inside?" Martha suggested as she took one of the drinks from Jay, accepting it happily.

"It wouldn't be proper for this time," Jay said with a roll of her eyes. "Discrimination...heavens above, how did any country ever get to the point where it can accept aliens?" She inclined her head towards the door as they moved to lean against the nearby wall. "He's in there. Came in about an hour ago with another teacher."

Martha's expression darkened. "I hate this. I want to scream, having to bow and scrape and behave."

"We'll be out of here within a month," Jay reassured, heaving out a large sigh. She wrapped her fingers more securely around the cup she cradled in her fingers, biting her lip. "Is he doing okay in that school? I wish I could have gone with you...but like he said, I need to be around as many humans as possible."

Jay had taken on work with a seamstress that lived within the village. It wasn't too bad a job, with her being a maid to the woman's home. The older woman had no family or friends, and tended to prefer being alone, but seemed alright with Jay coming around to keep her things in order and help her deliver her work to those who need it. On a very rare occasion, Jay had gotten lucky the week before and had been sent to the school, to take some newly made uniforms and clothes in for John Smith himself.

When they'd gone into hiding, before he'd done what he did, the Doctor had told her that she'd need work in a public place - to remain in that public space. Just in case, he'd said. Just in case the aliens found them and tracked her down by the poison in her veins.

"How have you been with that?" Martha asked after swallowing a sip of her drink. "Have you had any moments?"

"No." Jay smiled brightly. "I forgot to tell you before all of this. I think I've figured it out. It's got to do with circulation. Remember that ship we were on? The one heading towards the sun?" Martha scoffed, wondering how Jay could think she'd forget, and Jay laughed before continuing. "I barely felt anything before it stated. Afterwards, it was up through my arms. When my heart goes nuts, it starts moving quickly. But these past two weeks, it's only moved a little."

"So basically, we just need to keep you calm is what you're saying," Martha mused.

Jay nodded. "Precisely," she said cheerfully. "Which won't happen in the future, when we get back to that life, but it's good to know."

"Yes, it is," Martha agreed. "I'm going to go visit the TARDIS soon, I think. Would you like to come?"

"Yes," Jay said eagerly. "I miss the ship. I've not been there long, but...she's home."

Martha thought about that for a long moment, thinking of her apartment back on Earth, and agreed. The TARDIS was more of a home for the time being than anywhere else. She smiled as she stared up at the stars, and then blinked when a green light flared amongst them before vanishing. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" Jay asked, looking up, too.

"A light," she answered. "There was this light…" She narrowed her eyes, studying the stars.

"I didn't see anything. Maybe you're getting too cold," Jay suggested, licking her lips free of any final drops as she caught sight of someone fearfully running for the pub. She stood, setting her drink aside as a woman in distress came to a halt before them, shaking a little.

Martha recognized her immediately. "Matron, are you alright?" she asked, setting aside her own drink.

Joan was breathless as she breathed, "Did you see that? There was something in the woods! This...this _light_ …"

Jay exchanged a curious look with a worried Martha and then jumped when none other than John Smith stepped out of the pub, shrugging on his coat. He paused in surprise when he saw the group of women gathered together. "Anything wrong, ladies?" he questioned, and both Jay and Martha exchanged unhappy looks, missing their Doctor, who'd been replaced with this human who barely knew Martha and nothing of Jay. "Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you-"

"There!" Joan cried, pointing at the sky. They all tipped their head to look up. "There, look in the sky!"

"Beautiful," Jay breathed at the sight of something shooting through the sky. Yet a frown encompassed her face. Was that something alien? She certainly hoped not.

"Commonly known as a meteorite. It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all." John told them all.

"It came down in the woods," Joan fretted and that was enough for Martha and Jay. They exchanged a look. They'd be going to investigate the second they could.

"No, no, no, they always look close, but they're miles off," he told Joan, and then shook his head with a small smile. "Nothing left but a cinder. Now, I should escort you back to the school." He looked over at Jay and Martha, who were still watching the sky closely. "Ladies?"

"No, we're fine," Martha said curtly without looking at him.

Jay, however, spared him a kind smile, her blue eyes warm with gentleness. Martha didn't like John the slightest, but it wasn't his fault. John was human - he remembered nothing of the Doctor, and for that, she couldn't hate him. He looked confused as he looked at her, frowning a little, but finally shook his head and said, "Than I shall bid you good night." John placed a hat on his head and offered an arm to Joan, starting the long walk back to the school.

The second they were out of earshot, Martha spoke. "Do you know where that was? Where the light was headed?" Jay shook her head. "Alright, doesn't matter, we're going to go and find out anyways."

"We need to be careful," Jay reminded, rubbing her arms. "I don't know if that was an alien or not, Martha, but...we're going to be in serious trouble of the Family find us now."

"I know," Martha agreed. "But we need to check it out."

"Yes," Jay mused, "I suppose we do. Come on, then." She took off running, holding her skirts in her hand, and Martha tore off after her, liking the feeling of running after so long without it.

* * *

The girls found nothing in the field that night, and made plans to meet outside the pub the next morning, a Sunday when the seamstress Jay worked for was closed and the maids were given the morning off. When the morning arrived and Martha appeared before the pub, Jay was waiting for her with an impatient glint in her eyes. She smiled in greeting and together, they started for the old stone barn in the trees, where the Doctor had hidden the TARDIS when they'd arrived.

As they walked, they spoke, chatting about nothing in particular. They spoke mostly about how they missed the adventures they'd experienced, their hatred for the behavior they were required to undergo, although Jay admitted it wasn't entirely new to her. Martha was horrified upon hearing that.

When they reached that old stone barn, they didn't hesitate to open the door. Martha dug out her key as Jay went to the familiar sleeping blue box before them, resting her fingers against the familiar wood. She listened to the faint song - so much quieter than normal - in her head, and kissed the wood before stepping back to let Martha unlock the door.

Jay grinned when Martha stepped in and greeted the time machine with a simple, "Hello." She paused, and then muttered as she stalked inside, removing her coat, "I'm talking to a machine…"

"Come now, Martha," Jay said with a teasing smile, closing the door and striding for the console. She immediately ran her fingers over the controls. When she glanced up at the time rotor, frowning at the darkness around them, she remembered precisely how they'd gotten into all of this situation.

She could practically hear the Doctor's voice echoing around her.

 _"Look out!" the Doctor cried, and Jay's head snapped around in time to watch as Martha dove for the floor. Sparks erupted from the console as Jay slammed the door shut behind them. The Doctor flew for the TARDIS console, and not for the first time, Jay grumbled. They'd been enjoying some nice gardens in the palace of another planet when a group of aliens had shown up to cause them trouble._

 _The Doctor sent the TARDIS into motion, and Martha and Jay hurried to join him. They looked over his shoulder, not understanding a single thing they saw on the screen as the Doctor scowled. "They're following us," he told them. "They can follow us wherever we go. Right across the universe, and they're never going to stop… You two trust me, don't you?"_

 _They piped up immediately. "Of course," Martha answered at the same time that Jay gave him a sharp look followed by a curt nod. Of course they did. As if they wouldn't._

 _"'Cause it all depends on you," the Doctor said, gaze darting between them. "Both of you." He suddenly whirled away and took off at a jog for a piece of grating in the floor, which he quickly removed. He set it aside, and then dropped into the space below. They watched him anxiously, exchanging quick looks. Finally, a mere two minutes later, the Doctor re-emerged with something in hand. "This watch!" he said, rushing over to show them a pocket watch with strange symbols carved into the front of it. "This watch is me."_

 _"I...am completely and utterly lost," Jay asked, watching as he shoved it into her hands and ran around to the other side of the console. "What do you mean this is you?"_

 _"Those creatures are hunters," the Doctor explained, fidgeting with the controls of the console. "They can sniff out anyone - and me being a Time Lord...well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space. They can smell me, but they haven't heard me. And their life's bound to be running out, so we hide. Wait for them to die."_

 _"But...they can track us down," Martha pointed out._

 _The Doctor stopped what he was doing and looked up at her, eyes full of grim seriousness that made Jay bit her lip nervously. "That's why I have to stop being a Time Lord. I'm going to become human."_

 _Jay slowly shook her head while Martha watched him dart around the console, lowering something from the ceiling. When they looked up, they found themselves looking at the strangest of headsets hanging from a cable. The Doctor was looking at it with distaste and sadness. "Never thought I'd use this. All the times I've wondered."_

 _"What does it do?" Martha asked and Jay bit her lip harder. She didn't get it? Jay got the general idea, although she couldn't say she understood the technical parts._

 _"Chameleon Arch," the Doctor told them. "Re-writes my biology. It literally changes every single cell in my body. I've set it to human." With gentle fingers, the Doctor took the watch from Jay's hands and smiled briefly at her before fitting it into a section of the headset. "Now," he continued, "the TARDIS will take care of everything. Invent a life story for me, find me a setting and integrate me. It can't do the same for either of you. You'll have to improvise. I should have just enough residual awareness to let you in."_

 _"Doctor," Jay said in a small voice, suddenly stopping him by grabbing his arm. She searched his gaze when he turned to look at her. "Isn't it going to hurt?"_

 _"Oh yeah," he confirmed with a grimace. "It hurts."_

"I hate this," Jay uttered as Martha pressed a few buttons and swung the screen around towards her. Jay went to look over her shoulder and found the Doctor appearing on the screen. Her heart ached as he tapped the camera, questioning if it was working.

Finally, he began. _"Martha, Jay, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One: don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. Two: don't worry about the TARDIS, I'll put her on emergency power so they can't detect her. Just let her hide away. Four - no, wait a minute, three: no getting involved in big historical events. Four: you two. Don't let me abandon either of you. And five: Jay, you need to stay in a public area. I don't know if they can smell you, so keep near large groups…"_

Martha suddenly twisted a dial on the console, speeding through his speech as she muttered, "But there was a meteor, a shooting star...what are we supposed to do?"

 _"-and twenty-three: if anything goes wrong...if they find us...then you both know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it, so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you two. Your choice."_ He disappeared from the screen, and then suddenly backgracked, giving the screen the warmest smile Jay had ever seen him give. _"Oh, and...thank you."_

Martha bit her lip and rested her head in her hands, frustrated. Jay rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, missing the Doctor, too, as Martha mumbled, "I wish he'd come back."

"Me, too, Martha," Jay murmured, her eyes swimming with worry. "Me, too. We just need to keep going as we are, though. It won't be too much longer, and then we can open the watch. It's where he left it, yes?"

"Should be," Martha agreed. "I'll check the next time in there, but the last time I checked, it was." She took a deep shaken breath and then rocked back on her feels. "I'm a little worried about how close he's getting with the matron, Jay." And not just worried, she'd admit aloud, but frustrated. She _liked_ him. Why did he have to go and do this with another person,right in front of her, while he was human?

Jay took a long look at her friend. Finally with a sorrowful look, she reached out and touched Martha's shoulder, drawing her into a tight hug. Martha returned it. "We'll figure this out," she promised. "We'll be back in the stars soon enough. Just...hopefully without someone hunting us down."

Martha mumbled an agreement into her shoulder.

* * *

The sound of a paper being scratched upon by an inked pen filled the air as John carefully sketched out Joan onto the paper within his journal, his eyes darting up every now and then. His heart swelled every time he saw the kind woman, remembering their adventures earlier in the day in which he'd fixed a scarecrow's position. They'd had such a pleasant conversation despite his fumblings, and he was pleased that she'd let him draw her after taking in the new articles he'd created to add to the journal later earlier in the morning.

His mind drifted, thinking over those additions as he worked. The woman Martha had been with the evening before had appeared previously, but with even more of an influence in his dreams the previous night, as if seeing her had confirmed her presence in them. He'd seen her on the ground, back arched with her hands clawing at her chest as he and Martha knelt over her, some kind of creature that had made him wonder just how many nightmarish creatures could escape in this imaginary world he'd created-

"Can I see?"

Joan's voice snapped John out of his thoughts and he flashed her a warm smile as he stood and moved over. He joined her on the sofa she'd been posing on, handing the journal to her with ease. She laughed softly, looking flustered as she said, "Oh, goodness, do I look like that?" She giggled. "Are you sure that's me? I'd think I'm more akin to that." She pointed to an image of a round-faced creature on the opposite mage.

John grinned a little and tapped the drawing he'd just done. "Most definitely this page, I should think."

She looked at the little drawing with a hint of awe in her eyes, taking in what he saw of her through it. "You've...you've made me far too beautiful, John."

"Well," he responded honestly, "that's how I see you."

Her face fell a little as she admitted, "Widows aren't supposed to be beautiful. I think the world would rather we stopped." She paused, studying his face as he fondly brushed some hair from her eyes. "Is that fair? That we stop?"

"That's not fair at all," he responded and then leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. They kissed softly for a few moments, and then he pulled back, looking flustered. She looked startled, but before long, they were kissing again. This time, it was interrupted by the door flying open. He yanked back, all ready annoyed. "Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" he snapped, turning to look at the shocked woman. She'd frozen in place upon seeing the pair together.

Her heart ached as she stared at him. Not even an hour ago, she'd spoken with Jay about this and here it was happening right before her eyes. Without answering, she whirled around, rushing back out. She slammed the door shut and leaned against it only momentarily as she whispered, "That wasn't on the list."

Slowly, she broke away from the door and decided to return to her quarters, shared with Jenny. Tears welled in her eyes, but she rushed to blink them back as she walked. No point in crying. "You had to," she muttered, thinking of the video he'd left for she and Jay before turning into John Smith, "didn't you? Had to go and fall in love with a human."

She reached her bedroom and dropped onto her bed, pressing a hand over her eyes as she fought to think of what to do. The Doctor hadn't planned on this when he'd left them to deal with all of this. And for that, she somewhat hated him.

Martha must have sat in her quarters for hours, not seeming to notice the time flying by as she fought to figure out what to do. She'd have to warn Jay, although she was sure Jay would see. She was helping out with the village dance that night, sent to do so by the woman she worked for. She was wondering if she should go and find Jay or not, making some tea, when the door opened and a familiar woman entered. She smiled faintly when she saw Jenny, greeting, "There you are! Come and look what I've got. A nice pot of tea. And there's enough for two."

Jenny remained in the doorway, not bothering to answer. Martha's eyebrows rose, a tug in her gut telling her that something was off. "What are you standing there for? Are you alright?" she added when Jenny loudly sniffed.

Jenny answered in a surprisingly cold voice, "I must have a cold coming on." She finally came to join Martha at the small table they shared in their room.

As she did, Martha sighed aloud, finding that voicing her thoughts aloud to Jenny helped most times. "Problem is, I keep thinking about them, but I don't know what to do. Mr. Smith and Matron…it's never gonna last. He's gonna leave in a few weeks."

"Why?" Jenny asked rather sharply.

"It's like his contract comes to an end," Martha said with a small shrug. "And she's gonna be heartbroken." Jenny demanded to know where he was leaving for, so Martha answered. "All sorts of places. I wish I could tell you Jenny, but it's complicated."

"In what way?" Jenny inquired, but Martha shook her head, and Jenny sharpened her voice again, sounding near icy in tone "It sounds so interesting. Tell me. Tell me now."

Martha frowned, immediately confirming that her gut was right. Something was wrong. Immensely wrong with the woman before her. But, used to things like this now, Martha kept her calm. She swallowed thickly as she smiled at Jenny. "Would you like some tea? I could put a nice bit of gravy in the pot, and some mutton. Or sardines and jam. How about that?"

"I like the sound of that," Jenny answered, but very clearly didn't.

Martha smiled again. "Right, hold on a tick." She moved at a normal pace to the door, closing it on her way out. When she was out, her smile vanished and her hands trembled as she walked quickly to the stairs before pushing into a full-blown run. She had to get to Jay and John Smith, she thought as she ran as fast as she could, her heart racing with fear. The Family was _here_.

She had made it into the courtyard when something slammed into the gravel nearby - a shot from an alien weapon, Martha realized, and gasped as she ran faster.

She went straight to John's office, hoping that he wouldn't yet be at the village dance that she knew Jay would be at. She was relieved when she slammed into the office and found John and Joan kissing, though they jerked away from one another when she breathlessly cried, "They've found us!"

"Martha," John gritted out, irritated that they'd been interrupted again. "I've warned you."

"They've found us," she said fiercely, ignoring him. "And I've seen them. They look like people, like us. Like normal. I'm sorry, but you've got to open the-" She cut off, looking to the mantlepiece, where she knew the watch had resided, only to find it missing. Horror filled the young woman as she realized it was gone. "Where is it? Oh, my God-" She rushed over to the mantle, digging furiously through various things to try and find it. "Where's it gone? Where's the watch?"

"What are you talking about?" John demanded.

"You had a watch, a fob watch!" Martha said anxiously, struggling to find it as best as she could. Jay was going to _kill_ her - if the aliens didn't first! "Right there, on the mantle!"

Joan looked a little bothered as she said, "I can't see what concern it is of yours."

Martha wanted to throttle the woman. Without the Doctor, they'd _all_ be in trouble, and Joan Redfern was most certainly not helping! "But we need it...oh, my God, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny - they've...they've possessed her or copied her or something, and you've got to tell me where's the watch?"

John's eyes widened a little as he stared at the distraught woman. "Oh, I see," he said suddenly, and Martha looked over her shoulder at him with excited hope. Picking up the journal that Joan had brought back for him, John carefully approached Martha, saying patiently, "It must be so confusing for you...Martha, this is what we call a story."

Martha would kill him, she decided. When he snapped out of all of this, she would kill him. "Oh, you complete - _this_ ," she waved at him, "is not you. This is nineteen-thirteen."

"Good," he said with exaggerated patience. "This is nineteen-thirteen."

Her eyes narrowed. How _dare_ he! "I am sorry," she seethed. "I'm really sorry, but I've got to snap you out of this." Without further ado, she reached up and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. Joan gasped in horror and Martha ignored her, grabbing his upper arms and giving him a firm shake. "Wake up! You're going with me to get Jay, and then we're getting back to the TARDIS!"

When she grabbed his hand to pull him to the door, John snapped, "How dare you! I'm not going anywhere with an insane servant!" The way he said the word servant had her faltering, and before she knew it, _he_ was leading her to the door. "Martha, you are dismissed. You will leave these premises immediately. Now get out!" With that, she found herself thrown out, and her eyes filled with tears when the door slammed shut behind her. But she blinked them back.

She didn't have time for crying, she told herself, and ignored the sound of John saying something rather loudly about her in the office. She took off running again, bumping into a surprised student who she recognized from being one of the few who helped when he could despite being bullied so often. "Oh, sorry!" she gasped.

"Martha?" Timothy Latimer said with surprise, looking slightly dazed.

"Not now, Tim, busy!" she shouted over her shoulder as she ran off again.

She would forego Jay for now, for she knew John and Joan were going to the village dance. She needed to get something from the TARDIS that would remind him, even with the watch missing like it was.

Once again, Martha ran.

* * *

Martha had been right to be concerned, Jay thought as she swept around a table and ran her cloth briefly over a table, sweeping it free of crumbs and spilled drink, grabbing the empty glasses as she did so. She carried them back to the bar, her eyes darting over her shoulder to where she could see the Doctor - John, she corrected, because the Doctor was in hiding - and Joan enter. They looked happy, and Jay felt another stab of pain for Martha.

Poor Martha, she thought as she watched them, noting a boy that had slid through the doors. Jay gave him a curious look, wondering what he was doing there. He clearly lived at the school that Martha and John worked at. He had no business being here. But she left him be. He didn't seem inclined to do anything bad, so Jay went back to work.

She was sweeping away shattered glass when a hand grabbed her arm, making her jump a foot in the air. She snapped her head around, squealing, and Martha glared at her, pressing a finger to her lips. "Martha?" she questioned, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"They've found us and the watch is missing," Martha said hastily, glancing over her shoulder. She searched the crowds for the Time Lord in hiding and Joan, finding Joan at a table. Without further explanation, Martha dragged Jay over to where Joan was seated and stood before it. Joan, who'd been watching John as he went to fetch them some drinks after dancing, lost her smile when she saw Martha. "Please, don't," she begged. "Not again."

Martha ignored her. Jay awkwardly stood beside her, giving Joan a curious yet apologetic look as Martha spoke hastily, her dark eyes blazing with determination, because _damn it_ , she would make them understand even without the watch!

"He's different," Jay said quietly, catching both by surprise. Joan looked to her, blinking. Who even was this woman? Where had she come from? But Jay merely smiled gently at her, throwing a look over at John. "He's different from any other man you've ever met, right?"

"Yes," Joan said, narrowing her eyes. "Where are you going with this? Who are you, anyways?"

Jay shifted, taking the seat across from Joan. "Jayden O'Connors, but you can call me Jay. I'm like Martha, a friend of the Doctor's. Whether you believe us or not." She squeezed Martha's hand. Martha was looking at her in shock as she continued, clearly startling the pair of women for speaking up let alone in a way that even Martha had not thought to say. "Sometimes, he says such strange things. People and places you've never heard of. But...sometimes when you look in his eyes, you know that there's something else. Something hidden, right behind his eyes, hidden away in the dark. I've seen it, just as you have. It's the same, whether he's John Smith or the Doctor. They're the same, although they have their differences."

Joan's mouth had opened in shock, and she stared at Jay. "I…"

"Now, really Martha," a voice said sharply and Martha looked to find John standing there, scowling at her with two drinks in hand. "This is getting out of hand-" He cut off, looking at Jay in surprise. Martha glanced at Jay, who smiled in a friendly manner, and furrowed her brow suspiciously. He studied her warily, but with interest, as if she was a puzzle to solve, and then returned his gaze to Martha, focusing on someone he knew how to respond to. "I must insist that you leave."

Martha replied by thrusting something into the air between them. Her jaw worked furiously as she held the sonic screwdriver. John stilled, his eyes widening a fraction as he comprehended what he was looking at. Martha didn't move, stating boldly, "Do you know what this is?" she said, and Jay opened her mouth to protest, not entirely happy with how Martha was going about doing this. "Name it," Martha ordered. "Go on, name it."

"John," Joan said, her eyes flickering anxiously as she looked between he, Martha, and Jay. "What is this silly thing? John?"

They all watched as John took the screwdriver, turning it around in his hands. His fingers trembled as he paused to slowly look up, eyes holding a little bit of fear as Martha said evenly, "You're not John Smith. You're the Doctor. The man in your journal is real. He's you."

Jay opened her mouth to speak, to encourage the man and warn Martha not to push too hard, but was interrupted when there was sudden screams. They forgot what they were focusing on to turn around and look as a voice filled the air, loud and furious. "There will be silence! All of you! I said _silence_!"

Joan shot to her feet as a man who'd been announcing people who entered - well, those who "deserved it," as he'd put it - demanded of the large man who'd entered with a gun, making Jay flinch, "Mr. Clarke! What's going on?!"

Rather than answering, Mr. Clarke turned the gun on the announcer. It wasn't a normal gun, Jay and Martha noted as it turned the poor man into silence. The boy and maid, who Martha mournfully looked at, with him snickered. Joan gasped in terror behind them and Jay latched onto Martha's arm, squeezing it. Hastily, she suddenly grabbed John's arm, hissing in his ear, "Mr. Smith, everything Martha told you. Forget it, forget all of it! Don't say anything, alright?"

"What?" he rasped, but the boy - Baines, John knew him as - shouted, "We asked for silence! Now then. We have a few questions for Mr. Smith."

"No, better than that," a girl called cheerfully, skipping over with a red balloon in her hand. She stood beside Baines and Mr. Clark with a smug smirk, her dark eyes twinkling as she looked at John. "The teacher," she told them. "He's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

"You took human form," Baines laughed, looking delighted by this development.

"Of course I'm human," John said, voice trembling a little as he looked between the three in confusion and fear. "I was born human! As were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mr. Clarke!" He looked between them all with confusion, narrowing his eyes just a fraction. "What is going on?! This is madness!" First Martha and this strange blonde woman who seemed to be close with her, now these four! Why could no one make sense?!

"And a human brain, too," Jenny sneered, her nose wrinkling in a look that Martha had never seen her wear. "Simple. Thick and dull...he's no good like this. We need a Time Lord."

"Easily done!" Baines said happily, stepping forward. John froze when Baines pointed the gun at the horrified man. The people around them gasped, and someone cried out in concern. Joan whispered John's name, hands over her mouth in fear. "Change back," Baines snarled as John took a nervous step back. When John stammered that he didn't know what Baines was talking about, Baines shouted, " _Change back!_ "

"I _literally_ do not know!" John shouted back, glaring almost.

Jenny lost her patience. "Enough of this," she hissed, suddenly darting forward. Martha screamed when she was dragged forward, a gun pressed to her temple. Jay cried her name, her blue eyes wide with terror. On instinct, John pushed her back towards Joan. "She's your friend, isn't she?" Jenny mocked. "Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"Please," John pleaded, his gaze full of anxiety as he stared at the shivering Martha. Martha swallowed thickly, her eyes wild with fear and locked on the frantic Jay. "I don't know what you-"

"Wait a minute," Jenny said with a slight giggle, glancing at Mr. Clarke. "The maid told me about Smith and the matron...that woman behind him."

"Let's have you!" Mr. Clarke said with a smirk, ignoring John's shout of protest and Joan's scream as he grabbed the poor matron and dragged her away, holding her hostage just as Martha was held, the gun pressed to her temple.

"Joan," John rasped, looking back at Jay for help. She seemed to know something about what was going on, maybe she could -

But she was looking at him with tears in her eyes, frantic. Not helpful, he thought as he turned back to look at Baines, who crowed, "Have you enjoyed it, Doctor? Being human? Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or matron? Your friend or your lover? Your choice."

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith!" Jenny called, clicking her tongue and pressing the gun more firmly against Martha's head.

Had she not been trying to look around and see what she could do, Jay would have missed it. Yet, she knew she wasn't mistaken when she watched the boy who'd sneaked in earlier suddenly pull a familiar fob watch out of his pocket and open it just a fraction. Even from where she stood, she heard the whisper of _"Time Lord…"_

Baines head snapped around. Jenny was effectively distracted, and Martha took advantage of it, suddenly snatching the gun from her hand, ducking around her, and pressing it to Jenny's head. Jay groaned in relief at the sight of her friend with the upper hand as the woman said evenly, "One more move and I shoot."

Baines gave her a look of delight as he laughed and proclaimed, "Oh, the maid is _full_ of fire!"

"And _you_ can shut up," Martha said, firing the gun at the ceiling. Even Baines flinched.

"Careful, Son of Mine," Mr. Clarke said warningly. His eyes flashed as he stared at Martha. "This is all for you, so that you can live forever."

"I'll shoot her down," Baines scoffed mockingly and Martha grinned, daring him.

"Try it," she challenged. "We'll die together."

"Would you _really_ pull the trigger? Looks too scared to me," Baines drawled, and Jay bit her cheek hard before turning and bolting for the boy who'd had the watch in his hand. Baines narrowed his eyes but returned his eyes onto John, barely taking notice, because why should he? She was a mere human. The boy looked at her nervously, and she smiled faintly whispering something to him.

"Scared and holding a gun. Great combination," Martha hummed. "You wanna risk it?" Baines stared her down for a few seconds before lowering his gun, away from John. Mr. Clarke let go of Joan, who fled to stand beside John. "Doctor," Martha said, not taking her eyes away from Baines. "get everyone out. There's a door at the side. Over there. Go on!" When John faltered, she snarled, "Do it, Mr. Smith! I mean you. You, too, Jay!"

"Everybody out!" Joan shouted, taking charge when he merely studied Martha closely. She went to work, ushering everyone out and John finally went to help her. "Don't argue, Mr. Jackson," Martha heard her saying as she went along, arguing with someone. John sent the boy Jay had whispered to out and then turned to look back at Martha. Jay was right there with him, refusing to leave her friend behind even as Joan left.

"And you," Martha said to John. "Go on."

"What about-"

"Mr. Smith," she said icily, flicking her eyes only briefly towards the door. She returned them instantly to Baines. "I think you should escort your lady friend to safety, don't you? You, too, Jay. Stay with them."

"Martha," Jay protested as John looked to the door and back to Martha. But he made a decision, grabbed Jay's arm, and forced her to the door, immediately directing those outside as soon as he was out. Jay ripped away from him in disgust. He was _running_? Sure, that was what they did, but not while Martha was in danger!  
"Mr. Hicks, go to the village and get everyone out," Jay heard John order. He turned on the horrified boy from before. "Latimer," he said, reaching for his shoulders. "Get back to the school and-"

"Don't touch me!" Timothy snapped, horrified. "You're as bad as them!" He took off running.

Jay, knowing what he possessed, didn't hesitate to chase after him.

* * *

 _Finally done with this chapter! I need to head to bed...heading out to explore some stuff tomorrow. Hated these episodes. Poor Martha._

 _Thanks to reviewers (isikovaelena98 and Arashi - IV of VI!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all!_


	8. Family Blood

"Don't try anything," Martha said darkly as she pushed Jenny away, her brown eyes darting between Baines, Mr. Clarke, and Jenny. The girl with them was glaring maliciously. She looked at her, too, holding the gun up so that it was pointed at Baines. "I'm warning you, or sonny boy gets it!"

"She's almost brave, this one," Baines cooed, looking entirely amused with Martha. His gaze flicked up momentarily before returning to Martha, and the woman briefly wondered why.

"I should have taken her form," Jenny said wistfully. "Much more fun, so much spirit…"

"What happened to Jenny? Is she gone?" Martha demanded as she backed towards the door.

"She is consumed," Jenny replied, or, at least, the creature in her did. "Her body is mine. She went with precious little dignity...all that screaming!" And then she grinned, and Martha screamed as a scarecrow grabbed her from before. Baines shouted at someone to get the gun, but Martha ducked beneath the scarecrow and bolted outside.

She nearly ran right into John and Joan, who were still standing at the door with wide eyes. Martha wanted to scream when she realized Jay was nowhere in sight. Where had she _gone_?! "Don't just stand there!" Martha ran past them, shoving them as she did so. "God, you're rubbish as a human - come _on_!"

John took Joan's hand and they bolted after her, looking worried. Despite being bothered by them, Matha found herself desperately hoping that Jay was okay and safe at least. She was sure that she'd meet them at the school, as it was where John and Martha had worked.

They arrived at the school, barely able to catch their breath and heaving for air. John slammed the heavy wooden door that led to the school shut, bolting it, and then lunged for a bell that he immediately began to ring. Martha blinked, gasping, "What're you doing?"

"Maybe one man can't fight them," John told her and Martha's face paled as she realized what he was saying, "but this school teaches us to stand together. Take arms!" he shouted as boys began to emerge. "Take arms!"

"You can't do that!" Martha said desperately, remembering all that the Doctor had instructed she and Jay to do.

He gave her a look that made her shiver. "You wanted me to fight, didn't you?"

"I say, sir," a boy by the name of Hutchinson yawned as he came down, his eyes blinking blearily, and Martha felt sick. They were _children_. "What's the matter?"

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson," John said darkly. "Enemy at the door. Take arms."

The boys looked confused, but didn't dare to contradict him and went to work. Martha stood there beside Joan, horrified as the boys began to rush this way and that. "They're just children!" she cried. "You can't ask them to fight!" John ignored her, urging the boys along. "They don't stand a chance!"

"They're cadets, Miss Jones," John answered, his eyes blazing with determination. "They are trained to defend the King and all his properties."

Martha groaned, frustrated, and she turned to go and find Jay only to find herself with a very angry headmaster behind her. She froze, and Joan looked just as nervous as he bellowed, "What in thunder's name is this?" The boys around them stilled as well, and in any other circumstance, Martha would have laughed. Even Joan looked scared. "Before i devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain very simply and immediately exactly what is going on?"

"Headmaster," John said, picking his words extremely carefully, "I have to report that the school is under attack." The headmaster scoffed, disbelieving, and he hurried to say, "I promise you, sir, I was in the village with Matron. It's Baines, sir, Jeremy Baines and Mr. Clarke from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir. They've got guns. They've already murdered people in the village. I...we saw it happen."

"Matron," the headmaster said evenly without looking at Joan. "Is that so?"

"I'm afraid it's true, sir," Joan said quietly. "I saw it as well."

"Perhaps you did well then, Mr. Smith," the headmaster said, and everyone relaxed. No punishments from this man. "Murder on our own soil...what makes you think that danger will come here?"

"Baines threatened Mr. Smith, sir, and said that he'd follow him," Joan said, and Martha blinked at the look on her face. "We don't know why." Joan looked determined and it took Martha a moment to realize why. As sweet as she was on John, Joan had lost a husband to violence. She would protect John, even if it was a danger to herself. And for that, Joan earned some respect.

"Very well," the headmaster said. "You boys, remain on guard. Mr. Snell," he called to another teacher who'd appeared, yawning, "telephone the police. Mr. Philips, with me. We shall investigate."

"No," Martha protested, standing in front of him with wide eyes, "it's not safe out there!"

The headmaster gave her a rather sharp and nasty look. "Mr. Smith, it seems your favorite servant is giving me advice. You will control her, sir." And then, without further prompting, he left, and Martha scowled after him.

* * *

"This Doctor," Timothy said, his eyes clouded with worry and fear for the situation at hand as he looked at the watch in his palm. "He's...your friend?"

"Yes," Jay said confidently, glad she'd followed the boy who'd introduced himself only moments ago. He was a good kid, who had taken the watch without meaning any harm towards anyone else. He knew the watch was important. He knew everything, which had surprised her initially. Yet, she understood. She, too, could hear the watch whispering, _"Hold me, keep me safe. Keep me dark. Keep me closed. The time is not right."_ It was urging him to protect it. Jay could hear the Doctor's voice in that watch, and she smiled warmly at Timothy. "The Doctor is my friend. And despite all of the horrible things you say you saw...he's a good man. A troubled one, but a good one nonetheless. Now, I have to go and find my friends. Will you be okay?"

"Yes," Timothy promised, and then paused when the watch began to whisper once more.

 _"Not yet,"_ it murmured to Timothy. _"Not while the Family is abroad...danger!"_

"You can hear it, too? The watch?" Timothy asked, looking at Jay with wide eyes.

She nodded and touched his arm gently, her face grim. "I hear many things," she told him, "and I don't think the Doctor knows, to be honest. Nor Martha." She left without another word and disappeared down the hall, following the directions he'd given her a moment before. She took no time to get to John Smith's office, and burst through the door, scaring the hell out of Martha and Joan. Both looked at her with wide eyes and their hands pressed over their hearts.

"Where the hell have you been?" Martha cried. "Come on, we have to find the watch!"

"Speaking with that boy Timothy Latimer," Jay told them. She gently took Martha's hand when Martha approached, looking distressed, and gave it a squeeze. "Martha, he has it. The watch. You don't have to stress, the watch wants him to protect it. The watch is _safe_."

Martha looked as if she was going to collapse out of relief and she groaned. "Oh, thank God," she whispered, pressing a hand briefly over her eyes. She was watched by Joan, who also flicked her gaze over Jay before speaking.

"You said he was alien...not from abroad, I take it?" Joan said quietly, catching their attention.

"The man you call John Smith was born on another planet," Jay confirmed, smiling kindly at the matron. Nothing was her fault; she couldn't help it that she'd fallen in love with a Time Lord in hiding. "A different species all together, of course."

"In...in this fairy tale," Joan said, leaning heavily on a chair near her. She looked upset. "Who are you two?"

"Just friends. I'm not...I mean, you haven't got rivals," Martha said bitterly. "As much as I might... Just friends. We're both just friends."

"Human?"

"Human," Martha confirmed, and then inclined her head towards Jay. "She's got a little something extra mixed in, but we're human, and more than that, we don't just follow him around. Jay's an heiress, of sorts?" She looked to her friend for confirmation and Jay made a face but nodded. I'm training to be a doctor. Not an alien doctor, a proper doctor, a doctor of medicine."

Jay was slightly surprised when Joan wrinkled her nose, looking at the young woman in disbelief. "Well that certainly is nonsense. Women might train to be doctors, but hardly a skivvy and hardly one f your color."

"Martha," Jay warned, but Martha's eyes blazed with anger at the comment. She worked just as hard to be a doctor as anyone. "Oh," Martha said irritably, "do you think?" She lifted her hand and began to list off different bones of the hand, pointing to each as she went. Jay got lost somewhere, caught unprepared by the term "scaphoid," and Joan gave Martha look of distrust as she proclaimed that Martha had read that in a book. Martha laughed. "Yes, to pass my exams. Can't you see that this is true?"

Joan only shook her head and turned away, saying quietly, "Those boys are going to fight. I might not be a doctor, but I'm still a nurse. They need me." And with that, she abandoned the two women to look at one another in distress.

* * *

The boys finished preparing for the battle was to come and even fired upon an army of scarecrows beneath the supervision of John Smith and the headmaster. Jay, the miserable Joan - who had questioned John about his life and not received the answers she had wanted - and Martha watched from the windows as the Family directed the scarecrows and seemed to be amused by it all. It wasn't until the Family sent the girl forward, with the headmaster stepping past the line of guns that Jay bolted past Martha with the other women hard on her heels to flee to the outside.

"You child," the headmaster was saying as Jay ran outside. "Come out of the way. Come into the school...you don't know who's out there. It's the Cartwright girl, isn't it? Come here, come to me."

"Sir!" Jay cried as she burst outside. "Don't go near her!"

"Silence, woman. Who are you and why are you in my school, anyways?" the headmaster snapped, glaring at her.

"No, but she's right!" Martha added in to the headmaster's annoyance. "She's part of it!"

Joan agreed, and John added in quietly, "She was with Baines in the village, sir."

"Mr. Smith," the headmaster said crossly, "I've seen many strange sights this night, but there is no cause on God's earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir." Jay ran a hand desperately through her hair, trying to figure out who was going to stop him, but he'd all ready smiled kindly at the girl. "Come with me."

"You're funny," she mused, giggling softly. Her hand suddenly darted out of her coat, revealing a gun like Baines had held, and they all watched in horror as the young girl shot the headmaster dead. Jay squeaked in horror, grabbing Martha's arm as she mocked, "Now, who's going to shoot me? Any of you?"

"Put down your guns," John ordered the boys. One tried to protest, claiming that the headmaster had just died because of this girl, but John said evenly, "I will not see this happen. Not anymore. You will treat in an orderly fashion, back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way."

"Go on then!" Baines laughed as he appeared, looking quite smug about everything as he lifted the gun into the air. "Run!" One shot had the boys panicking and the students created chaos as they fled. John stood his ground amongst them all to cast a wary look at Baines before turning and bustling with the boys to get inside, pausing at the doorway that led out of the school and into the lot that held the stables. "This way, boys!" he called. "Quick as you can, let's go!"

They streamed past him and he felt a twinge of guilt. None of them were used to this kind of fighting - not like the adults were. Martha and Jay clung to each other, refusing to let the streams of people push them apart from one another. Joan ended up near them and when John saw them, he called, "And you, ladies!"

"Not until we get the boys out!" Joan retorted, and for once, Martha agreed with her.

They didn't get them all to the stable lot, and Jay wanted to cry in frustration as she scanned the crowds for the missing Timothy Latimer. "Martha," she whispered loudly, making sure she could be heard. "Martha-"

But Martha ignored her, instead focused on making sure that John didn't leave their sight. It was as the last trickles of boys were piling past the that John pushed his way through to stand before them. "Now," he said sternly, looking at the three women. "I insist. The pair of you just go. If there are any more boys inside, I'll find them."

"Mr. Smith!" Jay trilled in protest as he opened the door to the passage that would lead back into the school only to discover a row of scarecrows shuffling forward. He slammed it shut, locking it with wide eyes. "I think...retreat!"

They whirled around and the four all bolted through the stable lot and towards the tree. Distantly in the dark, Jay could see the boys fleeing, whether it be for the woods, the village, or just to hide. Martha's hand was so tight around Jay's, Jay thought she could feel her fingers going numb - but she quickly realized that it wasn't Martha doing it.

Pins and needles had spread all the way up through her forearms and calves, making each step painful the moment she realized the pain was there. She stumbled, but Martha kept her up and running with Joan and John a step behind them. They stopped just within the treeline's shadows, hiding from the Family as Mr. Clarke emerged, singing the Doctor's title mockingly as he sought the Time Lord out.

"Oh, God," Jay groaned when she saw what appeared behind Mr. Clarke, teleported there by whatever the Family had used. Because there was no way in hell these aliens could simply pick up the TARDIS like that.

"Come back, Doctor!" Mr. Clarke shouted, grinning at the trees. "Come home. Come and claim your prize."

"Out you come, Doctor!" Baines sang along with him, laughing maliciously. "There's a good boy, come to the Family!"

Jenny giggled and called, "Time to end it now!"

Softly, Martha said to John with tears gathering in her eyes, "Do you remember its name?" Her heart ached at the sight of the TARDIS in enemy hands. The Doctor was always worried about that ship. From where they stood, Jay could hear its song, sleepy and distressed.

"I've never seen it in my life," John said blankly, still trying to deny what was the truth.

"I'm sorry John, but you wrote about it," Joan said. Her voice cracked as she spoke, her own eyes tearing up as she looked to him sadly. "That blue box, you dreamt of it. You dreamt of a blue box."

Jay gave the poor woman a sympathetic look. She understood what they needed, that they needed the Doctor. That to survive this, _she_ needed the Doctor. She didn't like it, but she knew. And it killed her, because Joan was clearly in love with the man he'd been since meeting her. John looked to her with faint hope in his face. He said, "I'm not...I'm John Smith. That's all I want to be. John Smith, with his life and his job ad his love. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

Joan touched his arm with a sorrowful look when tears gathered at the corner of his eyes and began to trickle down his cheeks. "Yes, he is," Joan said softly.

"But why can't I stay?" he said desperately.

"Because," Jay told him with a kind but sorrowful look. "We need the Doctor, Mr. Smith, and I'm sorry."

"So what am I then?" he spat. "Nothing? I'm just...am I just a story?" He shook his head in denial and turned away, quickly taking off for the village. Jay made a sound, and Martha tore off after him with the Doctor, leaving her to struggle to keep up as those pins and needles crept further up her legs, her heart pounding in her chest.

Before they could talk sense into the man, Jay decided, they needed to catch their breath and calm down. Focus on what was important. So, heaving for air, she said, "Follow me. I know somewhere we can hide."

"We've got to keep going," John said stiffly, shaking his head.

"Just listen to a woman for once," Joan said in exasperation. "We can't keep running. Lead the way, Miss O'Connors."

"Thank you." Jay took off at a stuttering jog that sent pain skittering through her every few seconds, and after a moment's hesitation, John followed her. Joan was at his side, Martha behind to ensure that he didn't disappear. Jay led them through the trees along the village until she found the old abandoned house that she knew they would need. Her lips curved briefly into a smug smile before she lost it. "There," she claimed.

"Abandoned. I know this house," Joan realized. "Oh, it's a long time since I've run that far."

"Are you sure?" Martha said regarding the fact that the house was abandoned.

"I'm positive," Jay promised and then stepped through the front door. She held it open to let everyone in, John frowning briefly at her as he went, but she ignored him and closed it behind them. They all quietly went to the kitchen, leaning on various pieces of furniture. John couldn't seem to bring himself to remain standing and dropped into a chair with a grim look on his face.

They were all quiet for a short while before John said quietly, "I must go to them before anyone else dies."

"You can't," Joan said quietly. She sat beside him, taking his hand in hers with a warm, gentle expression. She turned her gaze to Martha after a moment, and then to Jay with a pleading look in her eyes. "There must be something we can do."

"Not without the watch," Martha said, folding her arms and leaning her hip against a counter, watching intently as Jay uncomfortably shook out her wrists. "You good, Jay?"

"Yep," Jay said with a grimace. "Just...the shaking helps. It's going to happen here soon, if the pins and needles that I feel are anything to go by, y'know?" The young blonde took a deep breath before addressing Joan. "Don't worry. I trust the Doctor. So does Martha, and even if we don't have the watch - which is safe - then we'll be alright, because everything will be figured out."

John didn't look the least bit happy with this and instead said with an angry wave towards the pair of women, "You're this Doctor's companions! Can't you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need you?"

"To be fair, I need him more than he could ever need me," Jay said quietly, her face suddenly saddening just briefly before becoming neutral. "He doesn't need me at all. But he's the only one who knows how to deal with what I acquired, so that's why I'm here."

"That's not true," Martha disagreed, shaking her head. "You're a friend, Jay, you're here because we want you here. Because he's lonely and needs both of us."

"And that's what you want me to become," John said with disgust, but before Martha could respond and counter that statement with one of her own, there was a knoc on the door. They all froze. Joan looked utterly terrified, and it was Martha who strode for the door.

"I'm not an expert," Martha said as she gripped the knob, "but I don't think scarecrows knock." She opened the door cautiously and then blinked at the sight of the boy before her. "Tim," she recognized, blinking. "What are you-"

He peered around her at Jay, who looked delighted to see him, and then turned his attention on Martha. "I brought you this," he said and thrust his hand out towards Martha. She gasped at the familiar sight of the fob watch with its circular inscriptions on the front of it. She let him drop it into her open palm and smiled warmly at it. From where she stood, knowing that Timothy could hear it, Jay heard the watch whisper Martha's name.

"Hold it," she said after thanking Timothy, turning on John. He scowled and shook his head. "Please," she begged, "just hold it."

"It told me to find you all," Timothy supplied, shifting his weight after closing the door behind him. "It wants to be held. I'm sorry. I would have returned it sooner, but Miss O'Connors and the watch both said it was waiting. And...I was scared of the Doctor." Joan looked surprised, and he became flustered. "I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage...like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it," John breathed.

"He's ancient and forever," Timothy said as if he hadn't heard John speak, watching as Martha placed the watch on the table before John. "He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop!" John cried now, hands shaking as he clasped them, bowing his head a little and hunching his shoulders. "I said _stop it_."

"And he's wonderful," Timothy finished. Jay and Martha murmured their agreement.

Joan was quiet for a few moments, watching John closely. And then, she reached into the pocket of her coat. She pulled out a journal, a familiar journal that had Martha gasping softly under her breath, and she placed it gently on the table between them. "I've still got this," she said to John. "The journal. And I know you think it's just stories, but we know that's not true. Perhaps there's something in-"

A sudden explosion had them all jolting in fear, and Jay stumbled when the ground shook violently beneath their feet, barely catching herself. "What the hell?" Martha cried, flying to the window in time to see things falling from the sky and slamming into the ground, blowing up as they did so.

"They're destroying the village," Jay murmured in horror, wondering if the kind widow she'd worked for would be okay.

"John," Joan said suddenly, catching their attention. They all turned to look. John had picked up the watch, his thumb brushing over the engravings on the front of it. "Don't," she said softly.

 _"Come closer_ ," Jay heard the watch whisper. Timothy watched her before looking back to John as it spoke again, urging John, _"Closer, closer!"_

"I think he's asleep," John said quietly. "Waiting to awaken." He ran his thumb over it again, his jaw working furiously as he thought over what he should do.

"Why did he speak to me?" Timothy suddenly asked, addressing Martha and Jay.

"Oh," John said suddenly, and Martha perked up at the familiar tone of voice as he spoke. This was not John Smith speaking, she knew, this was the Doctor. "Low-level telepathic field. You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing - is...is that how he talks?" He cut off with a terrified look on his face.

Martha clapped her hands together, excited. "That's him! All you have to do is open it and he's back!"

"Martha," Jay warned, grabbing her arm gently and giving it a firm squeeze. Martha needed to stop. It wasn't helping, no matter how much she loved her friends and wanted them to be back to normal.

As Joan flipped through the journal John had created, John said darkly, "He never thought about it, did he? About falling in love." Joan stiffened, but didn't look up. "What sort of man is that? And now you expect me to die?"

No one so much as flinched when another explosion went off.

"It was always going to end though," Martha said desperately.

Gently, Jay cut in, shooting the other woman a sharp look. _Stop_ , the look said warningly and Martha blinked in surprise. Usually, Jay was fairly docile - towards she and the Doctor, anyways. Why was she being so harsh now?

"Mr. Smith," Jay said, addressing him as she had Joan at the village dance, before the Family had arrived, "The Doctor told us that the Family's got a limited lifespan. That's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, they die like mayflies within three months...people are _dying_ out there, and we need him. You've no idea what he's like. Neither Martha and I….we don't know everything about him. We've only just met him, really. Me even more recently. But he is _everything_ to us. We love him to pieces." She didn't look at Martha, who flinched, because they both knew Martha loved him in an entirely different way than Jay did.

The house suddenly shook from another explosion.

"It's getting closer," Timothy said suddenly, looking nervously to Martha and Jay.

Before they could respond, John suddenly gasped, his hand tightening around the watch as he looked to them . "I should have thought of this before...I can give them this, just the watch. They they can leave and I can stay as I am!"

"You can't do that," Martha cried. "He'll never let you do it!"

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him. If they get what they want, then…"

Joan surprised them all by saying softly, her eyes blazing with grief and sorrow and determination, "Then it all ends in destruction. I never read to the end of your journal, but those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer. War across the stars, for every child." And for children, she would give up her own happiness. He looked at her with tears rolling down his cheeks, and she smiled warmly at him as she said, "Martha, Miss O'Connors, Timothy. Would you leave us alone, please?"  
"Of course," Jay agreed, and Timothy ducked out. Martha tried to protest, but Jay pushed her out and together, they all dropped to sit on a bench just outside after Jay closed the door. Martha pulled Timothy in for a hug as they watched the flames burn in the village, listened to the faintest of screams.

"Do you think he'll do it?" Martha whispered to Jay. "He wouldn't...he wouldn't force us to stay here, would he?"

"No," Jay said evenly, "and though I barely know John Smith, I know that he is too good a man to let every villager die simply for selfish reasons. But...I feel bad for him." She leaned her head on Martha's shoulder. "He is scared to die, and you can't blame him for that."

* * *

It took everything in him to completely bypass the guilt and devastation still residing in his heart as he stepped into the ship. Guilt for Joan, mostly, but guilt for Jay and Martha and Timothy, for the death that had come because he'd chosen this time to hide in, for _everything_. He owed so many people simply because he had not thought of a better way to deal with these creatures, and with the guilt came fury.

But, the Doctor shoved that deep down, and he took on a desperate, grieving look. "Just...just stop the bombardment!" he cried, clumsily leaning against a wall so that his fingers pressed against various buttons. The Family, who had turned to face him, barely took notice of what he was doing. "Just stop the bombardment, _please_ , that's all I'm asking. I'll do anything you want, just...stop!"

And maybe, he thought as he looked to them, he might spare them, leave them somewhere nice if they did show mercy.

So, he added, "Please."

Jenny studied him, and then flipped a switch. There was a hiss as the ship answered, and she paused to inhale deeply, taking in his scent. "Still human," she reported.

"Now," the Doctor said, stammering and keeping up the appearance, "I can't...I can't pretend to understand, not for a second, but I want you to know that I'm innocent in all this. He made me John Smith. It's...it's not like I had any control over it." As he spoke, he played with a few buttons behind him, hand awkwardly placed behind him to make it look as if it had cushioned the way he'd run into a wall.

"He didn't just make himself human, he made himself an idiot," Jenny muttered, glancing at Mr. Clarke with arched brows.

"I don't care about this Doctor and your family," the Doctor continued, determined to keep them distracted as he put their ship into self destruction. "I just want you to go. I've made my choice. You can have him." He held the watch out. His fingers were tight around it. "Just take it. Please! Take him away."

"At last," Baines said with a grin, snatching it from his fingers. He shoved the Doctor and the Doctor grunted as he was thrust towards another wall. He hid a slight smirk as he purposely slapped against the very buttons he'd been aiming for. He quickly lost the smirk as he turned around to watch them. Baines was looking at the watch with excitement. "Family of Mine," he said happily, "now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord." He opened it.

And nothing happened.

"It's empty!" Baines cried, glaring at the Doctor. "What did you do?" He threw the watch and stiffened with anger when the Doctor caught it, speaking in his normal manner with a hint of triumph.

"Oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection," the Doctor told them, fiddling with the watch thoughtfully. "It's a little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy, but it has _got_ to be said," he paused to put on his black frames, arching his brows as he looked at a part of the machinery, "I don't like the looks of that hydroconometer. It seems to be indicating that you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilizers feeding back into the primary heat converter. Ah," he sighed, shaking his head. "'Cause if there's one thing you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons. But, in fairness, I'll give you one word of advice." He grinned. "Run!"

The Doctor bolted out of the ship past them, hearing the furious Baines scream at his family to run. They all followed the Doctor out of the ship, only to be thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion behind them. When they looked up, they found the Doctor standing over them.

Gone was the grin.

In its place was such a look of fury that they all cowered against the grass.

At last, they understood why the Doctor had gone into hiding. Not because he'd been scared...but to give them all a chance, because the Doctor knew no mercy to those like them.

* * *

Martha and Jay sat together, knowing nothing of what the Doctor had done to the Family and perched on the captain's seat before the humming TARDIS console. It was nice to be in the fully awake time machine again, and Jay listened to her happy singing as they waited for the furious Time Lord to come back from saying farewell to Joan. They weren't entirely sure what he was going to say. If he would invite her and she'd come, and although Martha knew it would hurt, she was okay with it. Joan wasn't a bad person and deserved as much happiness as the rest of them. And if that was what would bring the Doctor happiness...then so be it.

Jay hissed softly, catching her attention. "Alright?" Martha asked, relieved to be in modern clothing again. She was entirely grateful to find herself in jeans again. Jay looked much more comfortable, too..

"Not really. It's up through my shoulders and hips," Jay admitted, biting the inside of her cheek. "So long as we aren't running like that again anytime soon, I'm sure I'll be okay for a while though. Just...you won't see me moving much."

"I'll go wait for him outside," she said. "The Doctor should know. You'll be alright in here?" Jay nodded, sad that she didn't have the energy to get up and say farewell to Timothy, who was waiting outside, looking curiously at the TARDIS, and Martha left her there on the captain's seat in peaceful silence to meet the Doctor outside. She was relieved to catch him just outside, as he was preparing to come in.

"Alright," he said cheerfully, smiling broadly when he saw Martha although his brow furrowed a little when he realized Jay was nowhere to be found. " _Molto bene_!"

"How was she?" Martha asked, stopping him from going in. "If you want, I could go and-"

"It's time we moved on," the Doctor responded, losing his smile. There was a sorrowful look in his eyes, only adding to the darkness that had been there from the moment they'd met and would likely remain until his death. The Doctor was quiet for a moment. "Where's Jay?"

"Inside. She's not feeling well." They exchanged a knowing look. "She...did she ever tell you what she thinks the factor that brings out those attacks is? That the more her heart pumps, the more the poison shoots through her? She said it gets worse the harder her heart works. The pain spread through her hips and shoulders now, and she doesn't think she'll be moving a lot."

"Circulation then," he murmured. "I'll take a look. Thank you, Martha." He took a deep breath and then turned to face Timothy when he appeared around the corner of the TARDIS with a large grin. "Tim-Timothy-Timber," he said cheerfully.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," Timothy said hesitantly. "Is Miss O'Connors out here?" They shook their head and he looked disappointed, but said with his chin high in the air, "And thank you. I've seen the future and I know now what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Martha said quietly, smiling gently at him. "You could get hurt."

"So could you, traveling around with him," Timothy said pointedly, gesturing to the Doctor, "but it's not going to stop you."

She inclined her head in acknowledgement. The Doctor cut in, smiling slightly at the boy's cheek. He liked him. He liked him a lot. "Tim, I'd be honored if you'd take this," he said suddenly, offering the watch.

Timothy took it, lifting it to his ear. He shook it a little. "I can't hear it anymore."

"You won't hear it again," the Doctor explained. "It's just a watch now, but keep it with you for good luck." He ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. Martha bid him farewell and hugged him tightly, kissing Timothy on the cheek before going to join Jay in the TARDIS. A moment later, Timothy smiled as he heard Jay shout a very loud "Bye!" at the top of her lungs.

"You'll like this bit," the Doctor promised Timothy, winking before ducking in himself. He went to work upon striding up to the console. As he did, he realized Jay was questioning Martha what was going to happen in the year of 1914. He cleared his throat to catch their attention and said, "In June of nineteen-fourteen, an archduke of Austria was shot by a Serbian and this then led, through nations having treaties with other nations, like a line of dominoes falling, to World War I."

The trio fell into silence as the Doctor sent the TARDIS into space to freely drift. When they were calmly doing so, he turned to face the girls. He studied them closely and then said gently, "Thank you. Thank you both. I don't say it enough."

Martha said nothing, but Jay only looked behind him at the time rotar and murmured, "Anytime, and I mean that sincerely. I can't speak for Martha, but you saved me, and I will forever be grateful and in your debt because of it."

He didn't necessarily like that, but smiled quietly nonetheless.

* * *

 _Shorter chapter to finish up the Family, but now it's done! I'm excited for what I've planned for so many episodes. "Blink" is going to be one of them. "Blink" and "Midnight" are two I'm extremely excited to work on._

 _Thanks to the lovely Arashi - IV of VI for reviewing, as well as those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all. :)_


	9. Blink

Sally Sparrow liked to think of herself as an explorer. Despite being an adult, she liked the thrill of jumping that black fence surrounding the property, bypassing a sign that warned her to stay out. Her eyes glimmered with excitement as she took in the building itself, wanting nothing more than to go inside.

She ducked beneath some all ready broken boards to get inside, a little weary upon finding them. Someone had clearly had the same idea that she'd had recently. The police had yet to come and investigate. She took out her flashlight as she walked, shining it around and holding her camera up with her free hand to take pictures. She'd investigated the kitchen and dining room when she found the living room.

At first, she didn't notice the peeling wallpaper. But when she did, she saw the barest hints of something inscribed beneath it. Curiosity took over and Sally reached up, setting aside her camera to rip at the paper. It came away with ease, revealing the word "beware."

"Oh," she breathed, curious. She peeled away more, and found more information. "The Weeping Angel" was next and was quickly followed by "Oh, and duck! Really duck!" That had her furrowing her brow. But Sally ignored the wrench in her gut to pull off even more wallpaper, revealing her name with a strangled sound. Her name was followed by "Duck, now!"

She heard glass shatter and barely ducked in time to see a massive piece of stone hit the wall where her head had been. Sally gasped, placing a hand over her heart, She stared at the stone in complete disbelief for a few seconds and then bolted for the window, shining her flashlight through it to see what she could find. She only frowned at the sight of a statue with its head bowed, its face hidden in its hands as if it were weeping.

After a long moment, she cocked her head and then turned to finish peeling away the paper. Heart still racing, Sally was incredibly surprised to find that the last message read, "Love from the Doctor (1969). P.S. Find Jay."

* * *

After an interesting time in her best friend Kathy Nightingale's home, Sally dragged her friend out to investigate the property with her. Kathy refused to go until the sun had come out. And when they did, Kathy eyed the private property with suspicion but excitement quickly lit her features. "Okay!" she said cheerfully. "Let's investigate! You and me, girl investigators. Love it! Hey, Sparrow and Nightingale, that so works!"

"Bit ITV," Sally pointed out.

""I know!' Kathy clapped her hands together. "What did you come here for last night anyways?"

"I love old things," Sally explained. "They make me feel sad."

"What's so good about sad?" Kathy demanded.

"It's happy for deep people," Sally said and then peered at the angel statue she'd seen the night before. She made a face, not feeling happy about it. "The Weeping Angel," she told Kathy, nodding at it. "It's moved. Since last night, I'm sure of it. Closer. It's closer to the house."

Kathy didn't look like she was inclined to agree that it was even a possibility, but kept quiet. The two girls quietly entered the property via climbing over the gates and then headed for the house. Sally let Kathy go past her to enter first and then climbed in herself. Together they stopped to look about. "This way," Sally said, and she led the way to the living room. When they reached it, she pointed. "See? How can my name be written here? How is that possible, Kathy?"

"I don't know," Kathy said, cocking her head as she curiously looked at the walls. "Fascinating."

"Fascinating," Sally agreed with a frown, "but a little concerning in my opinion." She paused when the doorbell rang. "Who would ring a doorbell at an abandoned house?" she muttered, going to answer it.

Kathy grabbed her arm to stop her. "What are you doing?! It could be a burglar!"

"A burglar who rings the doorbell?" Sally said with exasperation.

"Okay, I'll stay here in case something happens," Kathy decided as the doorbell rang again. Sally grinned, shaking her head in amusement as she went to answer the door.

When she opened it, she found a surprised looking man before her. He was a little troubled, eyes full of surprise at the fact that she was actually there. "Um," he said, "I'm looking for Sally Sparrow. I was told to bring this letter on this date at this exact time to Sally Sparrow."

Sally cleared her throat. "That's me," she told him, and he handed it over. "It looks old," she said.

"It is old." He eyed the envelope curiously and nervously, reluctant to give it up for some reason.

"How did he know I was coming here?" Sally asked, wondering if this man was the one who'd written on the living room walls. "I didn't tell anyone. How could anyone have known?"

"It's all a bit complicated," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not sure I understand it myself. I'm sorry, I feel really stupid. I was told to make absolutely sure...you are Sally Sparrow, yes?" Sally gave him a blank look, because _honestly_ , she had _just_ said that. "Well, I suppose," he said, flustered, "it's you the. Funny feeling, after all these years."

"Who's it from?" Sally asked, running her fingers over the parchment. "Gimme a name?"

"Katherine Wainwright, but she specified that I should tell you she was called Kathy Nightingale, prior to marriage."

Sally stared at him before jumping when there was a sudden shriek of "NO!" followed by a loud crashing sound. "Kathy?" she said nervously. She'd not recognized the voice that had shouted.

"Kathy, yes," he confirmed, believing that she was asking if he had said the right name. "Katherine Costello Nightingale."

"Is...is this a joke? Kathy," she shouted, turning away and storming into the house, leaving the man at the front door. "Kathy! Is this you?" She began to wander the first floor of the house, searching, and came up empty-handed. "Kathy! Kathy?!"  
The man frowned, awkwardly standing out front. Finally, she came back, looking troubled and worried for her friend. "So who are you?"

"I made a promise to my grandmother," he said quietly, "to get this letter to you." She impatiently looked to him, waiting for a name. "My grandmother," he repeated, "Katherine Costello Nightingale. She died twenty years ago."

"Your grandmother?" Sally said faintly, her fingers still tight on the letter, now reluctant to open it. With hesitation, she finally opened it, sorting through pictures that were within the envelope. Faintly, she murmured, "My Kathy, your grandmother...they're practically identical."

He held out a hand for the pictures and she handed them over willingly before reading the letter.

 _My dearest Sally Sparrow,_

 _If my grandson has done as he promises he will, then as you read these words it has been mere minutes since we last spoke. For you. For me, it has been over sixty years. The third of the photographs is my children. The youngest is Sally. I named her after you of course._

 _I suppose, unless I live to a really exceptional old age, I will be long gone as you read this. Don't feel sorry for me. I have led a good and full life. I've loved a good man and been well loved in return. You would have liked Ben. He was the very person I met in 1920._

 _My mum and dad are gone by your time, so really there's only Lawrence to tell. He works at the DVD store on Queen Street. I don't know what you're going to say to him, but I know you'll think of something. Just tell him I love him._

"What?" Sally whispered, dropping the letter. Without another glance at the man, she tore off through the house, shouting for her friend. "Kathy!" she shrieked. "This is sick! This is totally sick! Kathy? Please, Kathy, where are you!"

She bolted up a flight of stairs, pausing to curiously scoop up a key she found on the steps, and found herself stopping at the top when confronted with the sight of a series of stone angels before her. None of them moved, and she was relieved about that. What caught her by surprise, however, was the sight of a tired looking blonde woman standing at the end of the hall, past them. The stone angels all had their heads turned towards her. She looked as equally surprised to see Sally there, brow furrowing as if she was wondering if she'd seen Sally somewhere before. "What are you doing here?" the woman asked.

Sally's eyes hardened. "What'd you do to Kathy?!"

"I didn't do anything." The woman looked startled. "I tried to stop her from getting taken."

Sally went to answer, but whirled around when she heard the door close. "No!" she cried, flying back down the stairs. "Wait!" But the man who'd knocked had gone, and Sally found herself picking up Kathy's letter with a numbness in her body.

"I'm sorry." Sally looked over to find the woman had followed her, her hands trembling a little. She looked ready to collapse. "I tried. I really did."

Sally clenched her jaw and said as she strode out of the house, the woman keeping up with ease, "Who are you, anyways? What are you doing in that house? I didn't see you when I checked it out last night." She glared suspiciously. Kathy had disappeared, supposedly back in time. Did this woman have something to do with it?

"I'm Jay," she introduced. "I was looking for someone who goes by the Doctor, and our friend Martha Jones. Have you seen them around here?"

Sally stopped dead in her tracks to stare at Jay for a few moments, studying the way the woman was looking at her with so much hope. "No," she finally admitted, "but...this man, the Doctor, scribbled on a wall in that house. A message for me. He told me to duck, and to beware the Weeping Angels...also, to find you, I suppose."

Jay looked pleased. "Then I'm where I need to be, I believe. The Weeping Angels...they were the stone angels, of course. He was telling me about them before he disappeared...something about quantum locks? I'm not sure."

Sally found herself relaxing a little. Jay was harmless enough. And she seemed to know some information that might later be vital… "Do you...want to come with me? I have to tell Kathy's brother. About what happened."

Jay eagerly nodded. "Sure," she agreed. "If the Doctor's leaving messages for you, that means you're going to be the ticket to getting him back."

* * *

The DVD shop on Queen Street was just as Sally expected it to be. When she entered, it was a little dingy. Sally felt a little ill as she stopped at the counter, speaking to a man sitting behind it as he ignored them in favor of watching the television. "Excuse me," she said quietly. "I'm looking for Lawrence Nightingale."

"Through the back," he told them, pointing without looking.

Sally lead the way and Jay kept quiet, shaking out her wrists as she followed Sally into the back of the store. They entered a back room, Sally calling, "Hello?"

 _"Martha!"_ a voice cried from a nearby monitor that was on. Another, more female voice apologized, and the first continued, _"Quite possibly. 'Fraid so."_

"Doctor," Jay breathed, "Martha" She flew to the monitor, watching the faces on it even as a man ducked into view, greeting them.

"Hello," he said, gaze flicking between the two of them. "Can I help you?"

"Hi," Sally said, a little amused despite her despair. Clearly, Lawrence - Larry, he liked to be called - didn't recognize her from his naked appearance early that morning.

 _"Thirty-eight,_ " the man on the screen, who Jay had labeled as the Doctor, said, and Larry cleared his throat, apologizing as he paused the disk. He squinted at Sally, trying to figure out who she was, and Sally waited with an amused look.

"Oh, my God!" he cried suddenly and she grinned briefly. _There it is_. "Sorry, I'm so sorry about the whole-"

"Message," Sally interrupted, her guilt rising in her chest. "From your sister." He blinked, looking surprised and it hurt her to say, "She's had to go away fro a bit...just a work thing, nothing to worry about." She hesitated, and then said, "And...and she loves you."

Larry sputtered. "She _what_?"

Jay watched in silence, glancing away from the screen, as Sally said around the lump in her throat. "She said to say. She just sort of mentioned it. She loves you. There, that's nice, isn't it?"

"Is she _ill_?" Larry demanded. A pause. "Am _I_ ill? Is this a trick?"

"No, she loves you," Jay said with a beaming smile, backing up Sally without knowing a thing about what was in the letter. Sally looked at her in surprise.

 _"Yeah. People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is,"_ the Doctor continued from the TV, and Jay spun around in surprise, flushing. She'd accidentally unpaused it.

"Who is this guy?" Sally demanded despite knowing his title. "You had him on those screens early this morning. That same guy, talking about, I dunno, blinking or something."

Larry grinned, waving off her concern about Kathy's message. It hurt Sally. He didn't know. Didn't realize that Kathy was never coming home. "The bit about the blinking is great! I was checking to see if they were all the same."

"What were the same? What is this? Who _is_ he?" This was fired at Jay, who didn't answer, merely smiled and looked at Larry as he began to speak.

"He's an easter egg," Larry said cheerfully, eager to tell them about this man on the television. Jay's lips quirked a little, much to Sally's curiosity, but Larry didn't take notice. "Like a DVD extra. You know how on DVDs, they put extra stuff on? Like commentaries? Well, sometimes they put on hidden things. They call them easter eggs. You have to look for them, follow a bunch of clues in the menu screen."

 _"Complicated,"_ the Doctor's voice said.

"Not me this time," Jay told them, and Larry explained, "The pause slips sometimes."

"How many DVDs is he on?" Jay asked then, cocking her head a little.

"Sorry," Larry said, looking at her a frown. "But who are you? Another friend of Kathy's?"

Sally spoke up, cutting in. "She's a friend," she lied, and Jay frowned a little, curious as to why she wasn't telling Larry where they'd met and who she was. Was it supposed to be hidden that she was the Doctor's friend?

"Anyways, he's on seventeen different DVDs," Larry said, eyeing Jay curiously. He cleared his throat. "There are seventeen totally unrelated DVDs, all with him on them. Always hidden away, always a secret. Not even the publishers know how he got there - I asked. I talked to the manufacturers. They don't even know. He's like this ghost DVD extra, showing up where he's not supposed to be, but only on those seventeen."

"Sounds about right," Jay said under her breath, smiling fondly at the TV. To Larry, she said, "What does he do? In these easter eggs."

"Just sits there, making random remarks. It's like we're hearing half a conversation. Me and the guys have been trying for a while to work out the other half."

"Let me take a guess," Sally chuckled, folding her arms as she looked at Larry. "The internet?" Larry gaped, shocked she'd known, and she playfully wiggled her eyebrows. "Spooky, isn't it?"

 _"Very complicated,"_ the Doctor said from the screen and Jay smiled again. She missed them, Sally guessed as she turned a worried look on the screen. Missed them and was worried. Larry was called out, and Sally reassured him they'd be fine when he looked to her. He'd just stepped out when the Doctor spoke again. _"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a bit ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff."_

"Started well, that sentence," Sally commented to Jay. "Is he always like that?"

"For the most part," Jay sighed. "Yes. He's odd." She cocked her head as she studied the TV. If he'd made this recording, then he'd likely plotted some creative plan to get he and Martha back to the TARDIS - which had disappeared from under her nose, might she add.

 _"Oi! Jay! Don't call me odd!"_ the Doctor suddenly proclaimed, and both women stared at the screen in shock. _"But that did get away from me, yeah."_

"That...was weird. Like he can hear us," Sally said anxiously.

 _"Well, I_ can _hear you."_

"That's enough!" Sally cried, pausing the screen with a shudder despite Jay's protest. "I've had enough now. I've had a long day and I've had bloody enough!" She turned on her heel only to find Larry standing there with wide eyes, confused. "Sorry," she said, clearing her throat. "Bad day."

Jay gave her a sympathetic look as Larry inclined his head and said, "The seventeen DVDs...I thought you might be interested."

"Yeah," Sally said, taking the list from him carefully. "Thanks. That's...that's great." She glanced at Jay, who was biting the inside of her cheek unhappily. "See you around, Larry." She grabbed Jay's wrist and, ignoring her protests, dragged her out. "Come on," she muttered as they walked. "We're going to the police."

"I'm telling you," Jay said with a small huff. "Your friend is gone, sent back in time by the Angels."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean the police can't do something to stop what's happening, or they might even know something we don't."

Jay couldn't deny that.

* * *

The man at the desk was rather unhelpful, Jay thought, leaning against a nearby wall as Sally tried to get him to pay attention. When he wouldn't, Sally took a deep breath, trying again. "Okay," she said, slowing her breath. "There's this house, a big old house, been empty for years and is falling apart. Wester Drumlins, out by the estate-"

That caught his attention. "Wester Drumlins?" he said, sounding surprised. Sally nodded hopefully. "Could you just wait here a minute?"

"Sure." Sally sidled away a little, going to join Jay against the wall. Jay was staring out the window, and when Sally looked, she found herself looking at two Angels. They both blinked, and they disappeared. "Okay, cracking up now."

"No," Jay said quietly. "They were truly there. Great."

"How many of those things exist?" Sally wondered aloud as voices filled her ears.

"I don't know," Jay said honestly. Her blue eyes turned onto a few people that came from a back hall. A man and a woman, both speaking quietly. The woman left to join the man behind the desk while the man came to join she and Jay, saying as he looked down at a piece of paper, "Hi. DI Billy Shipton. Wester Drumlins is mine. Look, I can't talk to you now, got a thing I can't be late for, so if you could just…" He finally looked up, trailing off as he did so. His eyes locked on Sally with interest and Jay found herself grinning. "Hello."

"Hello," the girls chimed back.

"Marcie," Billy said, not tearing his eyes from Sally. "Can you tell them I'm gonna be late for that thing? I've got to help this lovely lady here." He blinked, catching himself. "Ladies," he corrected, smiling apologetically at Jay when she cocked her eyebrow. "Anyways, if you'll follow me...you can tell me about what you saw." He started forward and Sally and Jay fell into step on either side of him. Jay had her arms wrapped around herself while Sally looked interested.

As Sally explained what she'd seen and that her friend Kathy Nightingale had vanished, Jay listened in silence and tried to keep silent. She didn't know what the Doctor preferred she do regarding the police, and while she agreed it was the smartest way to go...it was still rough. She knew what the police were like two centuries in the future. And it wasn't good."

"Your friend isn't the first," Billy told her suddenly as they stepped out of an elevator into a parking garage. "Lots of people have disappeared over the last two years." He gestured to the vehicles around them. "These were theirs. All of them. All still have personal items in them, and a couple still had the motor running."

"So...over the last two years, the owners of these vehicles have driven up to Wester Drumlins, parked outside, and just...disappeared?" Sally asked, and he nodded.

Jay's gasp caught her attention, however, and Sally followed her gaze to find herself staring at a large blue box with a police public call sign upon it. "The TARDIS!" Jay whispered, immediately walking over to it and leaving Sally alone with Billy. Sally arched a brow and Billy narrowed his eyes a little in suspicion at the way that Jay rested her head against the blue wood, radiating relief.

"What is it?" Sally asked. "What's a police box?"

"We think it's somebody's idea of a joke," Billy admitted, shifting his weight as he nodded towards it. "It's a special kind of phone box for policemen. Used to have 'em all over, but this isn't a real one. The phone's just a dummy and the windows are the wrong size. We can't even get in it. Ordinary Yale lock, but nothing fits. But that's not the big question. You're missing that."

"Oh?" Sally said with curiosity evident in her voice. "What's the big question?"

"Will you have a drink with me?" Billy said with a grin and Jay paused to look over her shoulder at them with a snicker. Sally blinked, sputtering, and he said hopefully, "Drink, you, me, now? Sorry, you're not invited," he added somewhat rudely to Jay.

Jay shrugged and touched the handle to the police box's door. "No worries. I have bigger concerns. But aren't you on duty, Detective Inspector Shipton?" Sally waved at her, agreeing with the question.

"Nope," Billy said smugly. "Knocked off before I left. Told 'em I had a family crisis. Life is short and you are hot. Drink?"

"No," Sally denied. Her lips threatened to kick up into an amused smile.

"Phone number?" he tried hopefully, looking worried suddenly that she wouldn't agree to see him.

Sally rolled her eyes, even as she dug in her wallet for a piece of paper, ignoring Jay's cackling as the other woman came to join her, sensing that it would soon be time to leave. "Is that your phone number?" Billy said with a happy look when she handed a piece of paper with just that scribbled on it to him.

"Just my phone number," Sally said warningly. "Not a promise, or a guarantee, or an IOU, just a phone number." He questioned what her last name was, and she answered, "Sally Shipton. Sparrow!" she cried, correcting herself as Billy grinned broadly in amusement. "Sally Sparrow," she said weakly and then grabbed Jay's wrist and started dragging her away, shouting, "I'm going now! Don't look at me, and stop that," she added to Jay when the other woman giggled.

"I'll phone you!" Billy called after them.

"Don't look at me."

"Phone you tomorrow."

"Don't look at me!"

"Might even phone you tonight!"

"Don't look at me!" Sally repeated with a wail as they reached the doors.

Billy laughed and called after them, "Definitely gonna phone you, gorgeous girl!"

Jay wasn't surprised when Sally spun around to grin at Billy in response, her eyes dancing with mirth. "You definitely better!" she called and then ducked out of the garage with Jay. She took a deep breath, cheeks flaming red. "Stop," she protested, finding herself surprisingly comfortable with Jay's presence - enough so that she shoved at her.

Jay's giggled one more time and then took the lead, guiding them out of the building with ally keeping close. They'd just crossed the street, not entirely sure of what to do now, when Sally suddenly gasped.

"Sally?" she questioned, glancing at her with a furrowed brow.

"I found this," Sally said suddenly. "On the stairs in the house." She pulled the key out of her pocket, showing it to Jay, who made a strangled sound and plucked it from her fingers. "I take it that's the key to the box?"

Jay could only grin and nod.

* * *

The second his device went off, the Doctor was running. Martha wasn't far behind him, grumbling about the work she'd just got back from to ensure that she and the Doctor had a roof over their heads. The Doctor threw an almost apologetic look over his shoulder at her, knowing that she was wishing Jay was there, and he found himself worried once again for her. He didn't know why she, too, hadn't been thrown back in time with them, but he hoped she wasn't stuck in a completely other historical point.

 _She isn't_ , he told himself. The scripts had said she'd be with Sally.

"There," Martha suddenly said, pointing to a very confused man, who was looking around himself.

Barely panting for breath, the Doctor dropped into a crouch beside him, grinning. "Welcome," he greeted, and the poor man looked at him in surprise. "What's your name?"

"Billy. Where am I?" he demanded.

The Doctor shifted the device in his hand to the other. "Nineteen-sixty-nine," he reported, glancing around with a thoughtful expression. "Not bad, as it goes. You've got the moon landing to look forward to."

"Oh, the moon landing's brilliant," Martha breathed, remembering those trips with Jay. It had been a beautiful experience, with the pair of women fascinated by what was going on - Jay more so than even Martha, as apparently within two centuries, they'd lost the records of the moon landing. "We went four times. Back when we had transport…"

The Doctor frowned at her. "I'm working on it," he protested.

"How did I get here?" Billy breathed, shocked.

"The same way we did. The touch of an Angel. Same one, probably, since you ended up in the same year." Billy tried to get up, looking frantic, and the Doctor put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "No, no," he said soothingly, "don't get up. Time travel without a capsule is nasty. Catch your breath, don't go swimming for an hour."

"Because he's going to go swimming," Martha muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels," the Doctor continued, rambling to himself now with a thoughtful expression as he leaned against the brick wall beside Billy, spreading his legs out before him. "The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up and blown away in the blink of an eye. You die in the past, and in the present, they consume the energy of all the days you might have had - all your stolen moments. They're creatures of the abstract, living off of potential energy."

Billy stared at him in utter bewilderment. "What in God's name are you talking about?"

"Trust me," Martha piped up, smiling a little in amusement. "Just nod when he stops for breath, Billy."

"Tracked you down with this," the Doctor said, holding up the device in his hand. "This is my timey-wimey detector. it goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow." Martha gave him a look of exasperation, because _honestly_ , did that need to be said?

"I...I don't understand," Billy said faintly. "I was just...where am I?"

"Nineteen-sixty-nine," Martha said gently.

"Normally, I'd offer you a lift home, but somebody nicked my motor. So I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow and Jayden O'Connors, and I'm sorry, Billy, I am so very sorry, but it's going to take you a while."

* * *

"It's just a box," Sally said to Jay as they walked up to the hospital that Billy had called them from. She felt a twist in her gut. It made her nervous. How had he gone from the garage to the hospital like that? And why the hell did Jay look more anxious about the loss of the blue box then a human man?

"It's not though," Jay said softly. "It's so much more than a blue box, Sally. It's my home."

Sally chose not to question her about it as they ducked inside the hospital. She approached the front desk anxiously and asked for Billy Shipton, and they were sent to an upper story room that turned out to be empty of all but one person. As they ducked into the room, the man in the bed, voice hoarse with age, said, "It was raining when we met."

"It's the same rain," Sally said, her voice surprisingly even as she took a seat beside the bed, her gaze searching the old man's. Jay came to stand at her shoulder, gaze sharp with curious disbelief. They'd seen him only moments before, yet here he was.

Old, and dying, if the sorrowful pitch in her ears was anything to go by.

"Oh, Billy," Jay said softly, "I'm sorry."

He smiled sorrowfully. "I married," he told them suddenly. He reached for a picture on the table beside his bed, offering it to Sally and Jay for them to look at. Jay bent at the waist to peer over Sally's shoulder, the strings from the sweatshirt she wore tickling Sally's neck. She smiled lightly at the sight of Billy and a happy woman in the photo.

"She looks nice," Sally said softly.

"Her name was Sally, too." Billy's eyes twinkled. "Sally Shipton. I often thought about looking for you wo before tonight, but apparently it would've torn a hole in the fabric of space and time and destroyed two-thirds of the universe. Also," he said as Jay gasped, recognizing just who Billy would have got that from, "I'd lost my hair."

"The Doctor spoke with you," Jay breathed. "Do you know where he is?"

"Nineteen-sixty-nine," Billy said. He smiled at her. "He sent me with a message for each of you. For you, he said that you need to stay with Sally. When he's figured out how to get he and your friend back, they'll come find you." He turned his face to Sally, telling her, "He said to look at the list." Sally blinked, puzzled by what he meant. "He said you'd have it by now. A list of seventeen DVDs. I didn't stay a policeman back then. Got into publishing, then video publishing, then DVDs, of course."

"You put the easter egg on?" Sally asked, surprised.

"Have you noticed what all seventeen have in common yet? I suppose it's hard for you, in a way."

"I'm more confused on how he knows I have this list, I only just got it," Sally answered, biting her lip.

"I asked him how, but he said he couldn't tell me," Billy admitted, taking a deep, rattling breath that was followed up by a soft cough. "He said you'd understand it one day, but that I never would." Sally swore to tell him when she understood, but he shook his head with a rueful smile. "No, gorgeous girl, you can't. There's only tonight. He told me all those years ago that we'd only meet against this one time, on the night I die."

Jay bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed, remaining silent as Sally whispered with tears brimming in her eyes, "Oh, Billy."

"It's kept me going. I'm an old, sick man, but I've had something to look forward to." He gave a weak laugh as he said, "Life is long and you are hot. Oh, look at my hands...they're old man's hands...how did that happen?"

Jay took one of those wrinkled hands in her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Billy, we'll stay with you, okay?"

"Thank you, Jayden O'Connors and Sally Sparrow," Billy said with a sigh. "I have 'til the rain stops."

* * *

Their eyes were dry of tears by the time they arrived at the old building that was known by Wester Drumlins. The rain was gone, leaving everything with a damp musty sound, but both women were somewhat calm and ready to see what happened when they payed attention to the DVDs. Sally had called Larry on the way over, ordering him to bring a portable DVD player and when he arrived, ringing the doorbell, Sally left Jay alone in the living room to look at the wall while she answered the door.

Distantly, Jay heard Larry tell Sally as soon as she opened the door, "You live in Scooby Doo's house, Sally."

"For God's sake, I don't live here." Sally could be heard pacing through the house until she arrived in the living room with Larry. "No Angels?" she asked, and Jay shook her head, watching as Larry began to set up the charged DVD player. He was ranting about something or another regarding clear sound and picture quality, though neither seemed to pay him more than a moment of their attention. Sally watched Jay as she violently shuddered, trying to shake her wrists. "Are you okay?"

"No," Jay muttered. "I can feel it. it's going to happen in the next few minutes - oh! It's up! There he is," she said happily at the sight of her traveling companion on the screen. "The Doctor."

"Who's the Doctor?" Larry asked, glancing over his shoulder at the women as the disk began to play.

"He's the Doctor," Sally said.

And then, as Jay had hoped, the Doctor beamed from the screen and said, _"Yep. That's me."_

"Okay," Sally muttered, "that was scary."

"It sounds like he's replying, but he always says that," Larry reassured.

 _"Yes, I do."_ The Doctor's eyes twinkled with mirth in the screen and Jay bit the inside of her cheek when he began to smirk mischievously, seeming to know precisely what was going on as Sally cried that he really could hear them. Larry said something about a transcript, pulling it out, and before they knew it, he was saying in unison with the Doctor, _"Are you going to read out the whole thing?"_

Larry looked a little shocked, and Sally smiled a fraction before demanding, "Who are you?"

"He's a time traveller," Jay said, watching the screen closely. The Doctor seemed to beam at them. "And space traveller, I suppose. Whatever we feel like at the time we choose to make a decision. Chose quite an interesting one this last time, I believe."

 _"Quite right,"_ the Doctor agreed, and then gave a little finger wave, adding, _"Hello, Jay. Good to see you found Sally. Like she said, we're travellers of time. And space. Well, was. Stuck in nineteen-sixty-nine now."_

Martha's familiar face suddenly moved into the frame, and her dark eyes glittered crossly as she muttered, _"All of space and time, he promised me. Now I've got a job in a shop. I've got to support him!"_ Jay giggled and Martha huffed, _"Don't laugh, Jay!"_

"Nineteen-sixty-nine," Sally said slowly, mulling this over in her head. "That's where you're talking from? But you're replying to me - to us! You can't know exactly what I'm gonna say forty years before I say it!"

 _"Thirty-eight,"_ the Doctor corrected.

Larry scrambled for his pens and papers, crying, "I'm getting this down! I'm writing in your bits," he added to the women, who didn't seem to notice or care.

Sally just made a grouchy sound of frustration. "I don't understand, how is this possible?! Tell me!"

 _"People don't understand time,"_ the Doctor said instead. _"It's not what you think it is."_

"Then what is it?"

 _"Complicated._ "

Sally gritted her teeth. "Tell me."

 _"Very complicated."_

"Come now, Doctor," Jay muttered, "stop being an annoyance and just tell her. She's clever and we're all listening. And none of us are happy about what's going on, get a move on."

 _"People assume,"_ the Doctor said after a moment, and Jay made a face as she recognized the speech from earlier in the day at Larry's shop, _"that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff."_

"I'll say it again," Jay muttered, "he's an odd one that doesn't seem to understand that we don't understand what he means. That sentence was a mess."

 _"Oi! Jay! Don't call me odd! But that did get away from me, yeah,"_ he admitted, making Sally grumble in frustration, because _damn it_ , they'd heard all of this!

"Next thing you're going to say is, 'Well, I _can_ hear you,'" the young woman said crossly, rolling her eyes when he repeated just that. "We've heard this all before, time traveller."

"You'd do well with Martha," Jay mused, nodding at Sally with a smile. She liked Sally; too bad the Doctor seemed to be content with just she and Martha always tagging along. She turned back to the screen as the Doctor suddenly spoke again.

 _"Not hear you exactly, but I know everything you're going to say,"_ he told them. _"Just look to your left."_

"Always gives me shiver, that bit," Larry said, scribbling down words as quickly as he could, "but what does he mean by 'Look to your left?' I've written tons about that one the forums. I think it's a political statement."

"He means you," Sally said, looking at Larry. "What are you doing?"

Larry paused mid-sentence of writing to look up. "I'm writing in your guys' bits. So I've got a complete transcript of the whole conversation."

 _"I've got a copy of the finished transcript,"_ the Doctor pointed out cheerfully, looking quite smug about it. When Sally protested that he couldn't have a complete transcript, because it was still being written, he rolled his eyes. _"I told you. Time travel. I got it in the future."_

"Look," Jay said, cutting in. "What matters is we can communicate. And we have bigger problems. Doctor, Martha," she said, addressing the screen now, as if he and Martha could hear her. "The Angels have taken the TARDIS."

"The stone angels?" Sally said, remembering how upset Jay had been about the disappearance of the police box. "But they're just statues."

 _"Only when you see them."_ The Doctor's eyes flickered unhappily as he settled down further, speaking quickly and launching into a rant that made Jay sigh heavily with how quickly he was rambling. _"Lonely assassins, they were called. Not sure where they came from...almost as old as the universe, maybe even as old. They've survived this long with the most perfect defense system ever evolved: quantum-locking. They don't exist when being observed. The moment they're seen by any other living creature, they freeze into rock. No choice. It's their biology. A stone can't kill you, but you can't kill stone. Then, you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh, yes it can!"_

Jay remembered being caught in the beginnings of this before he and Martha had vanished into thin air. She ran a hand through her short hair, frustrated. She wished she'd known about this sooner. "So...don't take our eyes off of the Angels." Realization flickered through her. "They're not weeping, are they?"

 _"Exactly, Jay. They cover their eyes because they can't risk looking at each other. They can't risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. And I'm sorry, I am very, very sorry, it's up to you now."_

"But what do we _do_?" Jay was frustrated. She wanted to speak directly to him. "The TARDIS...why would they want her?"

 _"There is a world of time energy in there that they could feast on forever. The damage they can do can switch off the sun. You have to send it back to me, and then Martha and I can come back for you."_ She opened her mouth to demand more information, but the Doctor's face suddenly shifted with more worry than before as Jay collapsed, grunting as pain spiraled through her, just as it had in Manhattan.

"Jay?" Sally cried. She couldn't answer, barely even hearing Sally as her eyes stared blankly, rolling wildly in agony as her muscles locked and refused to let her do much more than make a strangled sound. "Oh, my God, what's wrong?"

Larry finished writing and set his paper aside, shooting to his feet. As he did, the Doctor said gently, _"She was okay after a few seconds the last time. Give them to her and then get out of there. The Angels are coming for you. Listen to me, your life could depend on this. Don't blink! Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink! Good luck. And watch her. Martha mentioned aftershocks."_

And then the video ended and Sally, kneeling beside the agonized Jay, swore loudly in annoyance. "Real helpful!" she cried in frustration, nervously checking Jay's pulse. She bit her lip whens he didn't find one. Larry hovered with fearful eyes, unsure of whether or not he should call an ambulance.

Just as the Doctor said, however, within a few seconds, Jay was breathing again. She sobbed, her eyes filled with tears of agony as Sally helped her to her feet, looping her arm around her shoulders to help her forward, because as the Doctor had said, they needed to _move_. For just there, in the doorway, while they had been watching the screen, an Angel had appeared in the doorway, face distorted. "Keep looking at it," Sally ordered Larry, hands shaking as they gripped Jay's wrist and waist. Jay groaned softly, struggling to get her feet working properly beneath her.

"There's just one, right?" he said anxiously, panicked. "There's just this one? We're okay if we keep staring at this one statue, everything's gonna be fine."

"There's three more," Jay choked out, swiping with her free hand at her face.

" _Three_?!"

"They were upstairs," Sally remembered. "We heard them moving, remember? Here, take Jay, I'm going to look around and check. Keep looking at this one, don't blink. If you need to, Jay can help. Are you okay know?" Jay gave her a look, because _did she look okay_? But Sally nodded; she was okay enough to stare at a Weeping Angel. "Remember what he said, don't even blink!"

"Who blinks?" Larry joked weakly. He took over Sally's role in helping the umstead Jay, who leaned heavily against him like a deadweight. "i'm too scared to blink."

"At least your legs are working," Jay whispered.

"Okay," Sally said, "we're going to the door. Front door, okay. We can't all get to the front door without taking our eyes off of that thing, so Jay, Larry, you stay here." When Larry began to panic, Sally lifted her voice and said reassuringly, "I'll be just around the corner, stay here!" She bolted, and Larry kept his eyes firmly on the angel while Jay searched the area around them for anymore. "They've locked us in!" she cried a moment before.

"Why?" Larry shouted.

"The key," Jay breathed, "they want the TARDIS, like the Doctor said. She found it the last time she was here. They followed us to get it back and we led them straight to the TARDIS. Now they've got that!"

"So give them the key!" Larry shouted to Sally, who bolted through the room to try the back door. She declared it locked and Larry spared a glance back, taking his eyes off of the Angel for only an instant. His panic exploded when he looked back and saw that the Angel had moved. "Sally, please, I can't do this!"

"Just keep your eyes on it," Jay breathed, shifting her own to watch it tiredly. She kept them there, blinking one eye at a time. Larry clearly couldn't be trusted with the task. "Don't blink, Larry, just don't blink."

"They've blocked off the door," Sally gasped as she popped back into the rom. "But there's a cellar. There might be a way out, delivery hatch or something." Sally disappeared back the direction she'd come, prying a door open and slipping down a flight of stairs.

"We're coming!" Larry decided, unable to handle remaining where he was. With care, he helped Jay stumble back in the direction Sally had gone. Sally was waiting at the top of the stairs for them, and between the pair of them, they managed to help Jay get down the stairs backwards.

They froze, however, when they two Angels waiting for them. Behind them, the door ripped open, and Jay snapped her head around to look in time to find the one from above at the top of the stairs. "Oh, God," she whispered in terror. "It's...it's pointing at the light!"

The lights flickered, the Angels moved, and that was enough to drive fear into their hearts, more than they'd thought possible. "Look!" Sally cried suddenly as the lights flickered a second time, allowing the Angels to move. She pointed, and they both followed her gaze to the proud blue box standing in the center of the cellar.

Jay sobbed in relief at the familiar song in her ears, yanking away to trip and stumble over to it. Sally and Larry kept their eyes on the Angels. "Sally!" she cried as the lights flickered again. "Throw me the key!"

Sally faltered, but then did. Jay caught it just barely and shoved the key into the lock, struggling to turn it with her weakened muscles. But finally, it clicked, and she shrieked, "Everyone in!" as the Angels closed in. Larry and Sally piled in after her and Jay slammed the door shut just as a holographic image of the Doctor appeared nearby, his gaze staring at them as if he could see them. Sally and Larry climbed to their feet, staring around them in utter awe and shock.

 _"This is security protocol, seven-one-two,"_ the holographic Doctor said in way of greeting. _"This time capsule has detected the presence of an authorized control disc, valid for one journey. Please insert the disc and prepare for departure."_

Jay sank to the floor, letting them deal with the rest of it all as she merely buried her face in her hands, relieved to be home in the TARDIS again. She felt safe there, as if forever could go by and nothing would touch her. "There's a slot on the screen," she groaned when Larry faltered, fumbling.

He'd just barely managed to shove it in when the TARDIS suddenly jolted around them. Sally screamed, thrown off balance, and Larry caught himself on the console. Jay heard the time machine moan in protest. "The Angels," Sally said, frantic, "they're trying to get in!"

The TARDIS finally read the disc and then, much to their horror, began to dematerialize around them. "What's happening?" Larry cried as the beautiful control room disappeared around them, revealing the Angels.

"No," Jay breathed, horrified. The TARDIS was leaving _her_ behind, too! "No! Doctor, you can't!"

"Look at them!" Sally ordered, head snapping between different Angels. "Quick, look at them!"

There was a moment of panic before Jay realized what was going on. "No," she said quickly. "No, you don't have to. Look at them, They're looking at each other. They can't move...they've been trapped. They'll never move again." She laughed and then groaned as another spike of pain slammed through her, driving to her knees. This one only lasted a few seconds before she was merely sitting there, ready to sleep for hours.

"We're safe," she muttered miserably.

But why was she still there?

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay here?" Sally said, eyeing the front of the old building with suspicion. Jay was slumped on the porch steps, exhausted. She wouldn't leave this old building until the Doctor came, she'd told them. Whether that be in a minute or a week, she wouldn't move. "You can come stay with me until he shows up. If he does."

"Don't say that," Jay snapped, and then flushed a little, surprised with her own agitation. She stood to say a proper farewell. "I'll be fine. Thank you for all of your help, Sally. I do wonder how Larry's transcripts get to him in the future, but…" She shrugged. "If I find out, I'll give you a call."

"Are you sure?" Larry looked as reluctant to leave Jay there as Sally did, not wanting to be held accountable if Jay was later found dead or something similar. His bag was shouldered, filled with the transcripts he was going to finalize.

"I'm sure," she answered, shivering when an aftershock coiled through her, barely noticeable after the last few that had occurred over the past hour and a half that they'd taken to regather their wits.

"If you are," Sally sighed, "I guess we'll head out...bye, Jay. I'm happy to have met you, even if we only met this morning."

"Likewise," Jay chuckled, winking. "Keep in touch, Sally Sparrow. I'm sure you'll see me again soon." She had thought the woman vaguely familiar, but couldn't remember from where, and was sure that Sally would come across them at some point.

She waved in farewell as Sally and Larry left and then sat on the porch step again, resting her chin in her open palm, relieved that, at least, the tingling numbness was gone. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, staring into the distance and thinking about everything and nothing between moments of light dozing, before a familiar sound filled her ears. Excitement and relief coiled through her as she stumbled to ehr feet, lurching for the TARDIS, which had appeared only a few feet away in front of the house.

"Jay!" Martha laughed, darting out of the TARDIS in time for Jay to slam into her, hugging her tightly. Jay gave a relieved cry, burying her face in Martha's shoulder. "We were so worried, are you okay? Did they get close to you?"

"A little," Jay said, pulling back with a faint smile. Martha frowned, worried about the shadows beneath her eyes. "Don't worry," Jay reassured, "I just need a little nap. Where's - ah! There you are!"

The Doctor grinned as he stepped from the TARDIS. "Long time no see," he said teasingly as she tackled him in a tight hug as well. He returned it, gripping her tightly before pushing her back by the shoulders, gaze sweeping up and down to check on her physical being.

He was caught entirely surprise when she suddenly punched him as hard as she could in the arm. "Ow!" he yelped, looking shocked as she glared furiously at him. "What was that for?"

"If you _ever_ ," she seethed, smacking his arm a second time, this time with an open hand, "do that again, I'm going to ensure that you get more than a punch, do you hear me?"

"Why isn't Martha getting scolded?" he protested.

She scowled. "Because Martha isn't the one in charge of the TARDIS!" She pouted, folding her arms as she looked towards the beautiful blue box, listening to the excited, happy song she was singing, as if welcoming them all back after they'd been away for so long. After a moment, Jay sighed. "No harm done, I suppose...I _am_ really glad to see you guys again." She apologetically patted the Doctor's arm, feeling a little bad for hitting him.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently. "The transcripts said you had another moment, where you collapsed-"

"I did," Jay told him, running a hand through her hair. "And I recovered. Aftershocks were nasty, but I'm okay now. Just need a nap, like I told Martha." She shot him a small, snide look. "Mostly because I was left behind by the TARDIS and panicked though."

Martha, smiling, shook her head. "Come on," she said, ducking back into the TARDIS. When she was inside, she lifted her voice, calling, "Stop arguing and come in so we can eat, I'm starved!"

Jay's stomach growled in response, and the blonde eagerly ducked back in after Martha. The Doctor chuckled and stepped in after them, swiftly closing the door behind them.

* * *

"Can you mind the shop?" Larry asked a year after the events with the Weeping Angels. Sally, who was busying herself flipping through transcript pages, barely noticed even as he added, "I'm just nipping next door for some milk…" He paused, having come out of the backroom to peer over her shoulder at what she was doing. "What's this?"

"Nothing," she said hastily, trying to hide it, but he snatched a page of transcripts away from her.

"Sally!" Larry moaned. "Can't you let it go? It's over."

"Of course I can't let it go," Sally said angrily, snatching it back. She put it with the rest of the papers, pictures, and lists she'd made into the small folder, hugging it to her chest. "How did the Doctor know where to write the words on the wall? How did he know that I'd be able to find Jay? How could he get the transcript? Where did he get all that information from? It could be life and death for past us, you know!"

She glared at him and he huffed, looking frustrated. "Ever think this might be getting in the way of other things?" he snapped, and she shook her head, muttering that they just ran a shop together. Looking hurt, Larry shook his head and left, calling over his shoulder, "Back in a moment."

Sally sighed heavily, feeling guilty. She cared for him deeply after that year they'd spent hanging out, but...why didn't he understand the desire for information she felt? She pressed her lips together, looking out the window - and then sputtered, lurching for the door when she saw a trio of people pile out of a taxi, looking rushed.

She slammed through the front door, shouting, "Doctor! Doctor!" The familiar Jayden O'Connors heard her first and looked back, grabbing the arm of the man ushering her and their friend along. She pointed at Sally, speaking to him, and he looked back before waiting for Sally to catch up with them, looking impatient.

"Hello!" he greeted hastily. "Sorry, bit of a rush, there's a sort of thing happening - fairly important, we've got to stop it." Sally stared at him for a long moment, shocked that he didn't seem to recognize her, and he shifted in distress when the friend Jay had called Martha called impatiently for them. "Look, sorry, I've got a bit of a complex life. Things don't always happen to me in order. Gets confusing, especially at weddings." He looked at Jay, serious. "I'm rubbish at weddings."

Understanding dawned in Sally's eyes as Jay giggled at him. "Oh, my God," she groaned, "of course, why didn't I think of it? You're a time traveller, so it means that it hasn't happened yet! None of it, it's still your future? It was me! Oh, for God's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from me!"

"Doctor!" Martha called impatiently, but Jay shushed her, instead demanding, "What did he get from you?"

"Okay," she said, realizing she needed to speed up her speech to him. "Listen. one day, you and your friend over there are going to get stuck in nineteen-sixty-nine and Jay's going to get stuck with me. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it." She handed over the folder. "Trust me."

" _Doctor_! _Jay_!" Martha snapped. "We've gotta _go_!"

"Yeah, yeah,," the Doctor told her, rolling his eyes and Jay went to placate the frustrated woman. "Listen, got to dash, things happening. Well, four things." A pause. "Well, four things and a lizard."

Sally grinned. "No worries. On you go. See you around someday, Doctor."

He grinned at her and turned to leave and paused before looking back at her. After a second, he asked, "What was your name?"

"Sally Sparrow," she told him, smiling as he studied her closely.

"Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow," he chuckled, smiling at her one final time before tearing off after his companions, shouting that they needed to wait for him.

Sally laughed as she heard Martha yell at him for taking so long and Jay groan at them both in exasperation, calling them both children. Sally found herself smiling fondly after them as she murmured, "Goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye, Jay."

* * *

 _One of my favorite episodes. Looking forward to the Titanic episode and Midnight (as mentioned). Next up is a fun thing involving Jay's family. Hope you're ready to meet them at last. ;)_

 _Serendipity989, regarding everything within your review... I was all ready planning for an original chapter before the whole thing with the Master comes into light, as you can see. Martha's season was always intended to be just kind of an introduction, a time in which Jay is somewhat introduced to the story and the others. Much more picks up within Donna's season and then the eleventh Doctor's time is when things really start happening, as well as where I was planning to input some original stuff. I appreciate your review (I was worried about it being too bland, actually, so I'm glad to hear such thoughts) and hope that it's not too disappointing that it'll drive you away?_

 _Thanks to lovely reviewers (Arashi - IV of VI and Serendipity989!) as well as all of you who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all!_


	10. The Bad Man: Part I

Jay's eyes snapped open, her breath heaving in her chest as she shot upright. Her heart raced beneath her palm when she pressed it over her breast, trying to soothe it as the pins and needles entered her fingertips despite having recently had an attack. She swallowed thickly, shoving sweat-dampened hair out of her eyes, and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

The TARDIS's song filled her ears, a comfort, as she went to the bathroom and threw some water on her face before heading out of her room entirely, pausing to look back and study various souvenirs that now decorated it. There weren't many. Only some, but she loved them. It showed what a delight her life had become.

She passed down the TARDIS corridor, her thoughtful blue eyes studying the walls as she went. She didn't realize where she was going until she ducked into the control room, her gaze all ready seeking the occupant who was rarely anywhere else unless accompanying his companions, and she found him quietly seated on the other side of the console, working peacefully on something in his hands. A gadget of some sort, Jay mused.

She didn't realize he'd noticed her until she was striding around the console and he said, "You should be asleep. You've only been in your room for four hours. For some species, I suppose that would be enough. But not for you."

Jay rolled her eyes and she found herself dropping to sit beside him, peering curiously at the gadget he held. "Nightmare," she admitted. "Dreamt I was back in that cell, with the creature looking over me. It was hissing at me. Something about cycles. I'm not entirely sure. I think it mentioned them while I was actually in there." She shrugged and then let her eyes return to the gadget. "What is that supposed to be?"

"Body heat sensor," he said, glancing at her. "As well as a chocolate syrup dispenser."

She arched a brow. "And why on earth would you combine that?"

"It will make a nice gift," he replied as if it were obvious, making her grin. "Do you need anything to help you sleep? There's plenty of tea in the kitchen. The TARDIS can create something for you. Rose used to have a device she could turn on that would display the stars and galaxies around her room."

Jay eyed him out of the corner of her eye. She'd heard that name a few times. Once or twice it had been muttered in annoyance by Martha for some reason or another. A few, the Doctor had been murmuring something aloud to himself and would mention her, musing that she might know what to do in the situation they found themselves in.

"Doctor," she said, surprising herself with her boldness. "Who's Rose?"

The Doctor's jaw tightened as he contemplated whether or not to answer the question. Despite the time that had passed, the ache was still there. The loss. It hurt. Even with the happy moments now within reach, he could still picture the tearful woman standing before him on Dårlig Ulv Stranden in Norway. Finally, he sighed, "Rose was - is," he hastily corrected, " a friend of mine. Rose Tyler of the Powell Estate. She traveled with me for a few years. I lost her. To a parallel world. She's safe, alive, with her family and a friend, but she's gone. You would have liked her." He remembered the attitude she'd popped on him sometimes, when he was being what she considered stupid, and the empathy she felt towards those who didn't deserve it - even a Dalek.

Jay was quiet for a few minutes, and then said, "I think I would like anyone who is allowed in the TARDIS," she said.

He smiled to himself, pleased with the comment, and then winced when the gadget suddenly sparked. It singed at his fingers and he dropped it hastily, glaring when it smoked. Jay grimaced, and he huffed before telling her, "If you need something like the device Rose had, just let the TARDIS know. She'll set something up for you."

Jay nodded, sensing that he was dismissing her so that she could get the sleep she so desperately needed. And she _was_ tired. She could barely keep her eyes open. "Can I sleep out here for this time?" she asked, gesturing to the captain's seat. It wasn't a very comfortable place to sleep, but she didn't want to be alone.

The Doctor nodded, warning, "I'm going to be working while you sleep. It won't be quiet."

"That's okay," she said and clambered to her feet. "Thank you." She brushed her sweatpants off, wondering what her mother would say if she saw the oversized T-shirt and baggy sweatpants she wore. Probably disown her for something like that. Her father would certainly disown her for being a disgrace to the family and wandering around carelessly as she had, "ruining the family name's reputation."

She made herself as comfortable as she could on the captain's seat, and smiled a little into her arm when the TARDIS hummed suddenly, music suddenly coming to life from a speaker on the console. The Doctor snorted softly, amused.

As Jay began to doze off, he glanced her way, thoughtful. The TARDIS seemed unusually attentive to her needs, nearly as attentive as she had been to Rose. Perhaps it was because of the poison?

Unsure, but not necessarily unhappy about it, the Doctor shrugged and went back to his gadget.

* * *

When Jay woke a second time, it was because a loud blaring sound had jolted her awake. She yelped, slamming her hands over her ears as she sat upright, staring at the Doctor as he raced around the console. She felt much better after her nap, although she couldn't say as to how long she'd been out this second time. Bewildered by the noise as the Doctor bellowed at the TARDIS to cut it out, she shouted over the alarms, "What on earth is going on?!"

"Alarms!" he cried as if she couldn't tell that much on her own. The Doctor typed furiously on something on the other side of the console before slamming a hand down as if that would help. In Jay's head, she heard the TARDIS singing sharply, as if scolding him for such an action. Controls began to move on their own, a lever flipping here, buttons pressing there, and one piece even rotating on its own, as if a ghost was steering the ship. Jay guessed it was just the TARDIS doing such things rather than a ghost when the ship didn't make a single sound of protest as it happened.

The familiar sound of the time machine moving roused Jay from her thoughts just as a sleepy Martha came stumbling out of the corridor, her dark eyes blinking blearily yet sharp with worry as the sirens continued to blare. "What," Martha said, lifting her voice to a shout to be heard over them, "is going on out here?!"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!" the Doctor shouted back.

"Well, stop hitting her, that might help!" Jay cried, stumbling to her feet. She caught herself on the TARDIS console, yelping when it jerked, nearly sending she and the other two to the ground. The Doctor almost smacked his head on the console, and then ripped his hands away when it sparked. There was a brief moment in which Jay worried it might burst into flames.

But then everything went still and the Doctor, chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath, blinked before carefully running his fingers over the controls, pacing around to make sure everything was okay. Martha, clinging to one side of the door frame, said with a trembling voice, "What just happened?"

"She moved, didn't she," Jay guessed, "without you putting in coordinates. She took off by herself."

"Yes," he admitted, frowning, "but I don't know where." He spun the screen around above the console to see if the TARDIS would tell him, but the screen was useless and full of static. He tapped it a few times as if that would help and then gave up, spinning around on his heel. Pushing his hands into his pockets as Martha and Jay came to join him, he leaned back on the TARDIS console and said grimly, "I'd go and get dressed. The TARDIS brought us to wherever we are for a reason, and it's best to get on with it before she gets impatient. She gets cranky when she's impatient."

Martha snorted as she grabbed Jay's arm and tugged her in the direction of the TARDIS closet, muttering, "He talks as if the ship's a woman…"

"Well, she _is_ alive," Jay replied firmly, not at all happy that Martha didn't seem to believe that. Jay scoffed softly when Martha only shook her head, but willingly let her friend lead her into the closet.

When they emerged, fully dressed and ready to, if the trip went as it usually did, run for their lives, the Doctor had donned his trench coat and was waiting at the doors. Both paused to stare in surprise; he rarely waited for them if they took longer than he did. Not unless it was a life or death situation; in that case, he was always one step behind them, ensuring they were safe before he was.

"Ready?" he questioned.

"Yes," Martha said confidently, winding her arm nervously through Jay's.

Together, they stepped outside. The Doctor led the way, pausing just inside the door to peek around before stepping aside to let the other two out. Jay and Martha looked around themselves when they'd stepped out, both caught by surprise. But while Martha's face filled with curiosity at the sight of the beautiful gardens with their overly green grass and endless rose bushes, Jay's filled with absolute horror.

When Jay turned to tug helplessly at the TARDIS door, locked behind her, she cursed herself for not bringing her TARDIS key along, having left it on her bedside table, just under the lamp. "Alright, Jay?" the Doctor asked, pausing when he saw the distress on her face.

She spun back around, forcing a smile to her face. "Yes, never better," she said hastily, clearly lying. But the Doctor said nothing about it, only placed a hand on the small of her back and nudging her forward. Jay stumbled, heart racing in her chest, but started forward, keeping a tight grip on Martha's arm.

"Where are we?" Martha asked, looking to the Time Lord for an explanation. "I mean, clearly some kind of garden, but where?"

Jay said nothing as the Doctor said slowly, "Earth. A few centuries into your future, if I"m not mistaken, which I never really am. Well," a pause as he considered this, "there have been a few times." He rubbed his hand through his hair awkwardly before hastily pointing out when Martha opened her mouth to question him further about the few times he had been wrong about location, "Look at those violets. Quite healthy for this time of year."

"Everything's quite healthy for the middle of November," Jay muttered, stopping beside a bench that lined the small white-bricked path they were following. This was new; someone had carved a recent date into it. She nodded to herself. "November twenty-seventh, in the year two thousand two hundred and sixty-three," she reported, making a face. Close to two months after her disappearance, although she said nothing of the sort to either of them.

"Hm," the Doctor merely hummed, peering around with thoughtful dark eyes. "Then I wonder what-" He was cut off with a yelp when something barreled into the back of his knees with a bark. He blinked up at them, breath driven from his chest, and Jay peered down at him.

"Alright?" Jay echoed, eyes sparkling with brief amusement.

Somewhat flustered, the Doctor popped back up to his feet. "Just fine," he muttered and then spun in a circle, trying to seeing what had knocked him flat on his back. Martha's chuckling caught his attention and he looked over, finding his companion squatting beside a massive black dog, whose tail was flying back and forth like the rudder of a motor boat.

"The Doctor, Time Lord from the planet of Gallifrey. He's faced down aliens of every kind, looked death in the eye and survived against all odds, but gets knocked askew by a dog," Martha mused, scratching the dog's ears.

The Doctor scowled at her, clearly not pleased that he was now being teased for what had happened, but was quickly distracted by the cries of a child. The dog perked its ears up and tore off for the voice, barking excitedly. Martha watched it go with disappointment, moving to stand beside Jay again.

"I liked him," Martha sighed. "Friendly, that one."

Jay patted her arm with a grin and then blinked when she saw a black shadow come racing back towards them. The dog nearly barreled into the Doctor again, and Jay had the distinct suspicion that the dog had considered doing it on purpose before it began to bound in circles around them, sliding into a bow before dancing away when Jay reached out to touch it. She snatched her hand back when its teeth suddenly clicked where her fingers had been, its eyes blazing with fury. The second Jay was away from the dog, however, it became friendly again, tail flying.

"Yeah," Jay muttered, somewhat hurt. "Friendly indeed."

"It must smell the poison," the Doctor suggested, crouching to ruffle the dog's ears himself. It groaned and leaned into his touch, seeming to enjoy it.

" _J.J._!" the child suddenly called, voice closer. "J.J. get back here!"

Jay's face turned as white as a sheet and she grabbed Martha's arm, as if seeking something to ground herself. "Jay?" Martha demanded, immediately worried. "What's-"

Before she could finish questioning her, Jay was tearing off after the dog at full speed, not leaving so much as a word of explanation. The Doctor exchanged a puzzled look with Martha, then took off at a jog after the blonde, Martha hot on his heels.

Jay ran for what seemed like forever, although it really wasn't that far. And when she reached what she'd been so desperately looking for, she nearly fell to her knees, heart racing painfully in her chest. Pins and needles stabbed at her fingers and hands, but she didn't care.

A boy stood a few feet away, in the middle of the grass with his hands running through the black dog's fur. He was scolding the dog, warning him not to run off a third time, or they'd have to go home - by order of the woman watching nearby with sharp dark eyes. Jay knew her just as well as she knew the boy and it was the sight of that woman that made her recoil to hide behind some rose bushes, ignoring how the thorns raked across the skin of her arms and hands when she latched onto them, gasping softly for breath.

Martha and the Doctor caught up, barely out of breath, but still concerned. "Jay?" Martha demanded. "What's going on?"

" _Lucas_ ," Jay said in way of explanation, waving in the direction that she'd seen the boy.

Martha's eyes flew wide in recognition and the Doctor took on a similar look when it hit him, too.

 _"He's only nine. He's a good kid, even though he's been spoiled by our mother and father. He just got a dog, the day I left. He named the puppy after me. J.J. It's what he called me when he was too young to say my full name,"_ Jay had told them as they'd rushed around trying to stop the bleeding in her wounds.

"Wait," Martha said breathlessly, her dark eyes flashing over to where the woman, Lucas, and the dog were. "That means we're in your time? Near your house?"

"One of them," Jay admitted. "I've only been to these gardens once. They're my mother's private gardens, a gift from my grandparents on my father's side when she married my father. She only let me into them because it was her thirty-fifth birthday. I was twelve." She raked a hand through her hair, shaken. "Why would the TARDIS bring us here?"

"Who's there?" Lucas's voice suddenly called nervously. They all stiffened, wondering what might happen to them if they were spotted. Jay bit her thumb nervously, so hard that her teeth broke through the skin and she bled. She was shivering violently, afraid of being dragged back home.

It appeared that luck wasn't on their side, as a moment later, Lucas was staring suspiciously around the bush at them. He eyed the Doctor first, then Martha, both with high suspicion and fear. But that changed to shock and even excitement when those blue eyes, so much like Jay's, landed on his sister.

" _Jay_!" he shrieked, launching himself at her. Despite her horror that they'd been found, she still clutched him to her, ducking down to hug him tightly and bury her face in his hair. He laughed in delight, his fingers digging in where they grabbed. "I knew you'd come home," he whispered against her neck, sniffling despite his best attempts not to cry.

"Lucas O'Connors!" they all heard the woman shout in alarm and fear. More for her own sake than Lucas's, Jay knew without a doubt. "Get back here this instant! J.J., heel!"

The dog was heard whining in protest.

"Hey, bud," Jay mumbled to him, pulling back. She kept her hands on his shoulders, smiling despite the tears that were quickly gathering in her eyes. Her brother was the only thing she'd missed while traveling with the Doctor and Martha. She wasn't sure why the TARDIS had brought them here, doubted the Doctor even knew at this point, and she hated that she had brought them to the spot they were in now, but Jay couldn't bring herself to not be grateful for the opportunity to see that her brother was thriving and alive.

Lucas bounced on his heels, chattering a thousand miles a second. "Who are you? Are you stars?" he was suddenly asking Martha and the Doctor, who stared at him, speechless. "I pray to the stars every night, just like the pretty lady told me to, so you can't be anything else, right, Jay? I prayed to the stars to bring you home, and you're here, so they've got to be stars, right? What else could they be? The pretty lady - she was with the bad man - said that if I prayed to the stars, the man in the blue box would bring you home... I wonder where your blue box is? Is it in the gardens? Oh, do you think Father would allow them to stay for supper? Mother will be pleased...do you think they'll believe that they're stars? I mean, they don't look like stars, but they've got to be, they've just got to be-"

"Lucas," Jay cut in, voice warm and amused, yet fearful. "I'm...we're not going to see Father and Mother. We're leaving. Right, Doctor?" she added, looking at him hopefully. If they stayed, she'd be spotted, and then there was no hope of escaping.

The Doctor, rather than answering, crouched before Lucas, studying him closely. He had locked onto another portion of the boy's chatter, more interested in that than whether or not they'd be staying for supper. "What pretty lady told you to pray to the stars, Lucas? And this bad man, who is he?"

" _LUCAS!"_ the woman called angrily, sounding closer.

"If you tell me," the Doctor prompted when Lucas became nervous and shy, hesitant to answer as he clutched Jay's wrist, "maybe I can help you get rid of the bad man."

" _LUCAS O'CONNORS, YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO SHOW YOURSELF, OR I WILL-"_

The three adults before him all jumped when Lucas scowled and turned around to scream back at the woman, " _I'M COMING!"_

Jay put a hand over her heart, shocked. "Since when did you scream like that?" she muttered. Martha snorted. She remembered her brother being somewhat of a rambunctious loud child, of course, but nothing like the attitude-ridden creature that stood before her now.

Rolling his eyes, Lucas turned back to the amused Time Lord and said hastily, "The pretty lady was with the bad man when he came to speak with Father. He was at the party," he added to Jay. "He said he wanted to talk with you, and then you were gone. No one would tell me where you went." His face filled with irritation and distress. "Father told me if I asked about it, he'd send me with the bad man, too."

Jay's expression darkened. She knew precisely who the bad man was. "Okay," she murmured soothingly. "Go back to Madame, Lucas, before she comes looking."

"Come with, J.J.," he pleaded, taking her hand tightly in his, reluctant to go without her. "Please come home."

Jay swallowed thickly and squeezed his hand before saying softly, crouching beside the Doctor as she murmured, "I'll tell you a secret if you answer me this: is the bad man staying in the First House with you?" Lucas nodded hastily. "Alright, then guess what? Tonight, at ten, when Mother and Father and the bad man have gone to bed, then you're going to see a blue box show up in your bedroom. And I'll be in that blue box, and the Doctor here, and Martha, and me, we're all going to get rid of the bad man. Is that okay with you, Lucas?"

Lucas searched her gaze, then nodded before suddenly whirling on the Doctor. "You," he said sharply, and the Doctor's brows rose in surprise. "Jay breaks her promises all the time, so you have to promise you'll be there. And you, too," he added, pointing at Martha sternly.

Martha blinked. "I promise," she vowed.

"I promise," the Doctor echoed, smiling kindly at the boy. "Now, do what Jay said. Go find...Madame," he told him, the word sounding odd in his mouth. _Madame._ Who on earth was _Madame_?

Lucas decided this was enough, and threw his arms around Jay in a tight hug before bolting back in the direction he'd come. Jay snorted under her breath when she heard him snapping at Madame to leave him alone for once in his life. Standing, Jay swept her knees free of dust and turned to Martha, who was quietly studying her. "What?"

"The bad man," she said suddenly, frowning. "He's the one you told us about, isn't he. The one your dad tried to marry you to. The one who knocked you out and gave you to that... _thing_."

"Yeah," Jay muttered, shaking her head in frustration. "But my father...he's cruel, but why would he let him back in his house? I know he doesn't care, I've gotten used to it over the years, so he really doesn't," Jay added when Martha tried to protest that he surely didn't feel that way, "but he'd care about someone getting rid of an investment. In this case, me. So why is the man back in the house? And we didn't find out who the 'pretty lady' is…"

The Doctor, who'd been surprisingly quiet until that point, stood, clicking his teeth as he rocked back on his heels and said, "Well, only one way to find out. Maybe the TARDIS will listen now. If we're lucky."

The last statement was uttered under his breath.

The TARDIS had been abnormally snappy not even an hour ago, and it made him nervous to even think of trying to direct her to where _he_ wanted to go. He only hoped she agreed.

* * *

The TARDIS seemed to think that they were doing the right thing and had no qualms about going to Lucas's room at precisely ten o'clock in the evening after Marcus and Julea O'Connors, in addition to their guests, had gone to bed.

Jay was hurrying for the doors the second the TARDIS had landed, and Martha went after her, pausing when the Doctor caught her elbow and stopped her. He waited until Jay had slipped out of the TARDIS, listening as she was greeted in quiet excitement by her brother, and then said in a low voice, "Would you listen if I told you to stay here?"

"No," Martha said and pushed her way past him without hesitation. She rolled her eyes, calling over her shoulder as the Doctor huffed and followed, "Doctor, if you think I'm going to stay in the TARDIS while a man is running around scaring a kid, you're daft."

" _Daft_?" he scoffed, insulted by the mere thought of being considered daft, but she ignored him again and joined her friend outside the TARDIS.

"Lucas," Jay whispered, seeking her brother. She peered around the side of the TARDIS when she didn't see him on his bed. She stepped around towards the back of the ship, ignoring the bickering between her friends. Huffing softly, Martha trailed behind her. "Lucas, where are-"

The door flew open, the light flicking on just as the Doctor closed the TARDIS door and Jay and Martha both spun out of view, pressing their backs to the back of the TARDIS. Her heart raced in her chest as a voice she knew well snapped, "Who are you? What are you doing in this room?"

"Oh!" Martha gasped, her voice tinged with worry. Jay cautiously slunk around the side she'd not been near, peering around the corner to watch what was happening. The Doctor was eyeing the two security team members who came in through the doorway, not looking pleased with the guns that were aimed at him. A woman, clearly in charge, snapped, "Answer me this instant, or I'll shoot you first and ask questions later."

The Doctor threw a casual look around the room, leaning back. His shoulder and hip leaned into the corner, blocking any possible view of Jay as he tucked his hands behind his back, removing them quickly from his pockets. Jay blinked, catching sight of the sonic screwdriver and psychic paper that wiggled in his fingers. Gently, she plucked both out of his hands and backed up. She silently ushered Martha towards the back of the TARDIS.

"Jay?" Martha breathed when Jay shakily pressed it into her fingers, listening to the security guard repeat her question. Jay's face was full of determination.

"Trust me," she murmured, smiling brightly. "Keep a hold on it. Follow at a distance. Watch out for security, it's rather tight in the First House. If you need to, most of these people don't know what psychic paper is, so you should be okay to use it. Use the sonic on the security cameras, I don't think the Doctor's changed the setting since he last used it..."

" _Jay_ ," Martha said furiously, "you can't be serious." She'd tried for so long to avoid this place. Why was she running right into the very place she wanted to avoid?

"Who better to find the bad man than the one who escaped?" Jay said playfully under her breath, wiggling her fingers before stepping out entirely from behind the TARDIS. She lost her smile, placing a cold look she'd not worn in some time upon her face as she said, "Put your weapons down. Now."

The Doctor looked startled at the sight of her, but Jay pretended not to notice, taking up a stance beside him and putting her hands on her hips. Her blue eyes were flinty, as hard as ice.

"Miss...Miss O'Connors," the man stammered, caught by surprise. Immediately, he lowered his gun. The woman was hasty to copy, both exchanging stunned looks. "Forgive us, we didn't know he was with you."

"Yes, well," Jay said bitingly, not at all faking her irrtation. "Shoot first, ask questions later rarely does you any good, now does it?" She nodded her head in the direction of the Doctor. "Like you said, he's with me. This is a friend of mine, the-"

"John Smith," the Doctor cut in quickly, not wanting his title used. He didn't know how much this family had heard of him. Often, people with wealth knew at least a little about him, or they'd heard of him in some regard.

"John Smith," echoed Jay. "And if you shoot him, I'll make sure you never see the light of day again. Are we clear?" They nodded hastily. "Where's Lucas?"

There was a brief moment in which the two security guards stared at her in confusion. And then they both looked to the empty massive bed at the edge of the large bedroom. "He should be in here," the female security guard said anxiously, immediately reaching for her radio. She spoke into it hastily, "This is Captain Alice. The young master appears to have left his room. Has anyone seen him?"

There was a moment before their radios were filled with the voice of another security guard. _"Checking the security cameras."_ There was a moment of silent waiting and then a bewildered _"Captain, who's in the room with you? I have a strange shape in my camera's way."_

"Miss O'Connors is home and brought a friend with her," Alice replied. "They have a strange box with them. Just look in the other rooms."

Jay exchanged an anxious look with the Doctor. He inclined his head curiously, questioning in silence, and Jay furrowed her brow after a moment, trying to figure out what he was asking. Understanding suddenly filled her. He was asking about Martha. She flicked her gaze to the corner of the TARDIS.

He nodded curtly once and then turned his attention back on Alice and the male security guard when their radios cackled to life. _"Captain, we can't find him. We see Mr. O'Connors and Mrs. O'Connors, as well as our guests, but the young master has disappeared entirely. Shall we wake Mr. O'Connors and alert him?"_

"No," Jay said sharply, shivering at the mere thought of seeing her father. "Let's see if we can find him first."

Alice faltered, but clearly liked the idea of waking up Marcus O'Connors as much as Jay did, because she nodded and repeated Jay's order into the radio. "Stay at your posts, we'll do the check."

The Doctor said nothing throughout the entire conversation, simply watching the interaction with interest. The commanding way Jay held herself was entirely new to him, and to Martha, who was nervously looking around the side of the TARDIS, unsure of what she was going to do when they all left the room.

"Come, Miss O'Connors," the man said suddenly, "if someone has broken in, it's best that you come with us to a safe location-"

"My brother's missing," she said curtly. "No."

The man looked taken aback. "Uh-"

"Drop it, Charlie," Alice sighed, eyeing Jay curiously. "Something's different about you. I don't know where you've been, or how you met this one, Miss O'Connors, but something's different. And I, off the record, think it's a really great thing." She gestured at the Doctor as she spoke and then added on, "Let's go and keep close to us, please. I don't want you getting hurt."

The Doctor's lips quirked. This woman had no idea what they'd been through. What they _did_ go through on an everyday basis in the TARDIS. As they started forward, heading out of Lucas's bedroom, he asked carefully, "Who are your guests? Would we have any reason to think they had something to do with the disappearance?"

Alice contemplated this for a moment, thinking it over. "Maybe," she muttered, scowling. "But don't tell the O'Connors that I said that way. I don't feel like disappearing, too."

"'Too?'" Jay echoed, gaze sharp. "Who's disappeared?"

"Madame vanished after she and Lucas returned home this afternoon," Charlie huffed, looking anything but pleased about spilling such information in front of the Doctor. "And Cook disappeared, too."

"Not Cook," Jay muttered under her breath with a pout. She looked around as they walked, keeping an eye out for anything that she might notice. Every now and then, she looked over her shoulder to keep an eye out and she exchanged an amused look with the Doctor when she realized he was doing the same. Leaning in, she muttered, "I gave the sonic and psychic paper to Martha. I told her to follow and use the sonic on the security cameras."

The Doctor looked pleased with this and then asked, leaning in so he could lower his voice as well, "How many cameras are there? Would they be able to keep track of 'the bad man?'"

Jay thought it over and then shrugged. "Maybe. Alice," she said, voice sharpening enough that the Doctor jumped. "The security cameras...would they have caught anything?"

"Maybe," Charlie said, answering for Alice. "We can have the person on duty check."

"Do that," Jay ordered. Charlie nodded, speaking into the radio on his uniform as they ducked into a large living room. Jay made a face. She knew this room well. It was one of three rooms she was allowed into freely, and that included her bedroom and the bathroom. She waited for Charlie to finish as she studied the room closely, her lips pressed together unhappily.

The Doctor looked around as well, patiently keeping an eye out. The TARDIS had sensed it, he realized. Had felt that something was wrong in this time and place and had been determined to get them there to help. Pride filled him, a hint of a smile crossing his mouth. He was incredibly proud of his ship for such a thing.

Charlie's radio finally crackled back to life. _"Charlie, the cameras cut out for a few minutes. We think someone hacked in."_

Jay furrowed her brow. Maybe it was a human, then. It wouldn't be a first, but… That might be even worse than an alien breaking in. And she hadn't even met with the 'bad man' or her father yet. This day was turning out to be absolutely fantastic, she thought bitterly. Jay shifted her weight as Charlie looked to them. "Miss O'Connors, is your friend any good with technology?"

The Doctor beamed, not looking the least bit bothered that he'd not been addressed directly. "Exceptionally good."

"Let him have a look," Jay instructed. She sucked up her pride and her worries about her own selfish desires. "And wake up Father and Mother. If someone hacked in, it might be a ransom problem. Call them here." She didn't truly believe that. Not with the disappearance of Madame and Cook. No one would take the cook and nanny if they were seeking ransom money. Her heart was racing, and she swore softly under her breath as pain stabbed at her fingers. She needed to calm down. She did, but the fear she felt for Lucas, the fear she felt at the thought of confronting her mother and father…

"Oh!" she said, looking to Charlie. "Summon the woman who's staying here, too. Lucas said something about a pretty lady that makes us want to talk to her, if you wouldn't mind. Keep the other guest in his room."

Charlie looked shocked. "When did you speak with Lucas, Miss O'Connors?"

She ignored him, running a hand down her face. The Doctor said nothing throughout all of this, merely touched her arm comfortingly and added, "Show us the way to the security area, please. Where I'll look at the cameras."

"Right." Charlie waved for them to follow, Alice following as she spoke into a radio, giving instructions to other security personnel. Jay hoped Martha would be okay with more security people running around.

They had rounded a corner, nearing the room in which the security cameras were watched, when Alice's radio crackled to life. " _Captain, Mr. O'Connors is demanding that Miss O'Connors be brought to the living room to join he and Mrs. O'Connors. Both guests will be joining them."_

Jay's jaw tightened in terror. She could handle this, she told herself, thinking of the monster who'd imprisoned her for what her family would think to be two months as well as all of the monsters she had faced since accompanying the Doctor and Martha. She could handle this. Besides, the Doctor had the TARDIS. And he would be able to help if they tried locking her up again.

Alice looked to her almost apologetically, waiting to see what Jay would try doing all while both of them knew she'd have to force her there if necessary. Jay inclined her head; she'd go.

Addressing Charlie, she said calmly, "Make sure John gets to the security cameras, would you? And when he's done, take him back to that box." He'd mentioned scanners within the TARDIS several times. Maybe they could be of use. The Doctor nodded his approval as she turned to him, her blue eyes flickering uncertainty. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course," he said, and it was enough reassurance that the tightness in her shoulders lessened.

After all of the freedom she'd been granted, it was time to face the music.

Something she would do if only because she needed them on her side to bring Lucas home.

* * *

Martha was nervous as she skittered down a hallway, noting every security camera and buzzing the sonic screwdriver at it, grinning when each would stop and lower their screens to the floor. She understood the love of the sonic screwdriver now, she mused silently, checking her pocket to ensure that the psychic paper was still there.

The building was abnormally large, and she wondered how people could live in such a place. It was cold and unhomely. She remembered dreaming once of living in castles and mansions that were designed like this. She was grateful that her family had never done so if the way that Jay's mentions of her family were true.

Martha rounded another corner, slowing her breath and pace. She needed to be cautious, and being constantly worried about someone finding her would only make it harder. She had psychic paper with her, she reassured herself. If someone found her, that would help her.

And then, the world tipped beneath her. "Oof!" she gasped, wincing when a hand grabbed her arm rather harshly to ensure that she didn't fall entirely. The hand released her when she'd caught her balance and Martha's eyes darted up to lock on the owner's face. Her lips pressed together at the unfamiliar group of people. Two security guards who had guns aimed at her - Martha was going to have a word with Jay about the obsession with them, although she couldn't really blame a group of security - as well as a man with a sneer on his face and a pleasantly smiling woman with eyes entirely of white that matched her hair.

"Put your hands in the air and don't move," said the security guard to Martha's left with a sharp voice, his gaze hard. "And then state your purpose and how you entered the O'Connors' First House."

Martha did so slowly, swallowing thickly. Her hands in the air after a moment, she said calmly, "Jay O'Connors hired me to look into the disappearances of some of the staff here in the First House." The lie fell from her lips with ease. "If you'd allow, I have proof." She nodded towards her pocket. The security guard inclined his head to give her permission and after a moment of hesitation, Martha pulled the psychic paper out and handed it over, praying it would work for her.

The security guard studied it for a long, long moment, the woman with white eyes peering curiously over his shoulder, and then nodded curtly, handing it back. The woman's face filled with entertained amusement. "Martha Jones," she said, her voice deep and raspy yet still tinged with a feminine aspect. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise…?"

"Iovita," the woman said. "And this is my fool of a brother, Jovita." She cast the man beside her a nasty look. "He does not normally look like this, my dear, I must apologize for his insulting appearance. He is using a perception filter to appear as human as the rest of your kind." She paused. "No offense, of course. I merely wish that he was not insulting you in such a way."

Alien, then, Martha thought. Marcus O'Connors had tried to marry his daughter off to a disguised alien. Interesting, Martha thought, that the 'bad man' was brother to the 'pretty lady' Lucas had mentioned. Martha forced a smile to her lips, lying, "A pleasure to meet you," she said faintly before squaring her shoulders. She'd dealt with worse, she told herself. She'd be fine.

"If you'd accompany us to the living room, Miss Jones," the kinder security guard on her right said, waving for her to do just that, "we're taking Miss Iovita and Mr. Jovita to the living room to join Mr. and Mrs. O'Connors as we search for the young master. We'd love to have you join us there and discuss your theories with them. It appears Miss O'Connors will be there as well, so…"

So much for sneaking around, Martha sighed silently. But she kept her smile on her mouth and nodded firmly. "Of course," she said smoothly, "lead the way."

The group moved forward and Martha fell into step, to her surprise, beside Iovita. The white-eyed woman was humming a song under her breath that Martha didn't recognize, her pale hands clasped behind her back. She surprised Martha when she suddenly addressed her, saying in a voice that was so low that no one else would hear, "I assume that Mr. Smith is with you?"

Martha nodded slowly, eyeing her suspiciously. "How do you know who he is?" she said carefully. She was careful, oh so careful. She didn't think the O'Connors needed to know who their daughter had been around. "I don't think he's been near this family until now."

Iovita's lips twitched. "Ah, but he has been around other planets, has he not? Mr. Smith was very helpful in saving mine. I will forever be grateful for his contribution. I am grateful that my suggestion that the young Lucas pray to the stars worked."

Martha was curious, admittedly, wanting to know what had happened on this woman's planet. What had drawn her into the knowledge of who the Doctor was, and why she thought praying to the stars would bring him around. She glanced up at a security camera as she passed it, eyes flickering when she saw that it was working. Those would be something that Jay and the Doctor hopefully looked at. They'd see her, what had happened. Well, the Doctor would if he got there. Jay was, apparently, being put with her parents.

Martha spared the man in front of her a suspicious look. The last time he'd been around, Jay had been sent to the creature of nightmares. Now, Lucas O'Connors and several others had gone missing. Yet Marcus O'Connors kept him around.

The only question was... _why_?

* * *

 _Long time, no update. So begins the original chapters! This will be two or three parts. We'll see how it ends up. ;)_

 _Thanks to those who reviewed (Arashi - IV of VI, PrincessMagic, bored411, and SnowKi!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all. :)_


	11. The Bad Man: Part II

Jay knew from the second she set foot into the room that it was going to be a challenge to keep herself from screaming. For her parents all ready resided within the living room the O'Connors were gathering in with the guests. Jay's heart twisted with panic when she saw them. Her father, as sleek as ever, silver-streaked black hair smoothed back with his sharp gaze narrowed at her. He looked fierce and intimidating despite the fact that he was in a pair of expensive pajamas.

Her mother, on the other hand, was a bit of a mess. Julea's hair stuck up at every odd angle, the long blonde strands tangled from sleep. Her blue eyes glimmered with worry for Lucas as she fidgeted with her hands, elegant nightgown clinging to her body. Her face filled with shock when she saw Jay - both of their faces did.

"Jayden!" Julea gasped. "You're-"

Marcus cut his wife off, scowling. "What are you wearing?"

Jay couldn't say she was surprised. One would think after going missing for a few months, they'd be worried about her health and wellbeing, but heaven forbid her father witness someone wearing clothing that would make her a disgrace to the O'Connors name. Jay rolled her eyes and planted her feet firmly in the carpet, her fingers and hands tingling. Her heart beat quickly in her chest with fear.

She'd faced that monster that had imprisoned her. She'd seen aliens of all kinds, faced death and danger, run from it with the Doctor and Martha alongside her. But this...facing her parents again, and in particular, her father...it was, perhaps, the most terrifying thing she'd ever done.

But Jay lifted her chin, looked between the pair, and then said calmly, "Hello, again." She bypassed her father's question, refusing to be bothered by the clothes she wore. They were comfortable, good for running, and made her feel like her own person rather than a doll to dress up.

Alice shifted nervously, reluctant to leave Jay alone yet needing to get back to her work. Jay appreciated many of the staff members who worked in the First House. She knew they worried about the O'Connors children. But they also were employed by the head of the family, so when Marcus ordered her to leave and find out what had happened to Lucas, she had no choice but to do as she was told. Jay grimaced as she left the room, leaving her alone with Julea and Marcus.

Julea tottered over, wringing her hands, and Jay frowned. Her mother was thinner than normal, her body displaying angles that hadn't been there before she'd left. She'd lost weight - a lot of it. "Jayden," she repeated, even as Marcus huffed, scanning his daughter with a calculating look. "Are you alright? Where have you been? We were worried sick!"

Jay doubted it, but didn't say such a thing aloud, instead crossing her arms so that the scar on her arm was hidden from view, trying her best to obscure the ugly black veins that were so obvious when they weren't covered. "I'm fine, Mother," she said carefully. Not. "I made some friends - they brought me here. We heard what was happening - the disappearances - and one of my friends is always interested in a good crime solving spree, so…"

Marcus looked less and less happy the longer Jay spoke, but she didn't bother to mind him. She was used to disappointment when it came to him. Julea's eyes flickered as she searched her daughter's expression. "Are they here? Can they help with Lucas?"

Jay's throat was thick with emotion as she forced out, "Yeah. Both of them are really good at finding people, Mother. They'll figure out where Lucas went. The - John, I mean, is checking the glitched security tapes now and Martha is wandering about somewhere, checking out any possible signs as to where he might have gone." She just hoped to the stars above - to the blue police box whose song she could hear even from where she stood - that it wasn't the same alien that had imprisoned her. Jay wondered if they'd been this worried about her when she'd disappeared. Marcus, perhaps not, but Julea...maybe.

"Jay!"

Jay's head snapped around at the familiar sound of Martha's voice. She turned in time to see her friend sweep into the living room with a sheepish smile, her gaze darting over her shoulder every few moments. Jay saw why a moment later, her spine straightening as Martha hurried over to stand beside her, sparing Marcus and Julea curious looks.

"These are Jovita and Iovita," Martha introduced as two people swept in. Aliens, Jay knew immediately, regarding the woman with her unblinking white eyes and hair, her skin so pale it nearly matched other physical attributes. The man, however, was as human-looking as they came - and someone she knew by sight alone.

She could feel the tremor starting to make her quiver. She was scared. And with good reason, she supposed, staring at the man who'd dragged her to the creature that had wanted to eat her. The one her father had tried to marry her to. Jovita's eyes glinted with shock as he stared at her. "You," he said, voice lilted and dark. "How did you escape?"

All eyes turned on Jay and Jovita. Jay shook like a leaf, and Martha leaned her shoulder against hers, gaze darkening as realization struck her. But Jay forced her fear back in favor of saying faintly, "I met professional escape artists."

Jovita looked outright angry at her somewhat sarcastic quip - although Martha snorted, because she wasn't entirely wrong. They were very good at escaping most situations.

"What are you talking about?" Julea demanded, and then looked to her husband. "Marcus, what are they talking about?"

"Yes, Father," Jay said, suddenly looking irritably at her father. "What are we talking about? Since you were so determined to marry me off to Jovita here-"

Iovita cleared her throat, her white eyes showing no emotion as she clasped her hands before her and said, "I believe, Miss O'Connors, Mr. O'Connors, _Jovita_ ," she paused to glare absolutely hatefully at her brother, "that there are other concerns to be had. Like the location of the young master." She smiled gently at Jay. "I understand what occurred to you was horrifying, Miss O'Connors, and I would like to speak with you about the matter and Jovita's upcoming execution, but he has nothing to do with the young master's disappearance."

Silence fell as they all took this in various ways, contemplating. And then Martha asked Jay, "Where'd John go?"

"To look at security tapes and then back to our-" Jay cut off, glancing at Jovita and then her parents, still quivering a little. "You know."

"Ah," Martha murmured, nodding wisely. She took Jay's hand, squeezing it gently. "I think he'd be interested in speaking to Iovita. She had a theory on what might be going on here."

"Do you have the paper and screwdriver still?" Jay asked, thinking.

"Yeah, of course." Martha patted a pocket and Jay nodded, ignoring the harsh staring she was receiving from her father. It made her nervous that he'd been so quiet; he'd never been that silent before. _Never_. Usually, it was Marcus who conquered the conversation.

"Come on, and you, too, Iovita." Jay gestured for Iovita to step away from her brother. "We'll take her to him. See what he's found out in checking out all of that security footage-"

Marcus suddenly spoke up and Jay stiffened when he did, his voice brutally harsh as he snarled, suddenly storming over. "You'll do no such thing, Jayden." He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her away from Martha, who looked downright shocked at the sudden intrusion on her personal space when he got in her face. But she held her ground rather impressively, Jay thought. "Security will throw this woman and the man who accompanied her into the holding cells in the basement and the police will be contacted."

"What?!" Martha exclaimed.

Jay pried his hand from her shoulder. "You can't just send them to the police because they're trying to help in a situation you can't control-"

"Silence!" Marcus bellowed and Jay fell quite simply out of shock. When she had, Marcus shoved her towards her mother and then whirled on Martha, practically towering over her as he used his height to his advantage. Martha squared her shoulders, pressing her lips together. "Security!"

Alice ducked into the room, her eyes narrowing with agitation. She wasn't Marcus's biggest fan, and didn't enjoy being summoned like a dog. "Forgive me, Mr. O'Connors, but there are no security personnel to escort Miss O'Connors's friends to the basement." Jay wanted to kiss the woman out of sheer relief. "They're all on high alert searching for the young master."

Jay thought Marcus was going to explode, but the stress of the situation was offset by a string of music escaping Martha's pocket. "Oh!" she said in surprise, reaching for it. Marcus glared viciously at her as she raised her cellphone to her ear, speaking into it hastily. "Hello?" She listened for a few moments and then glanced at Jovita and Iovita. "Yes. One's okay, the other's...well, the first said something about an execution date-" Another pause. "Yes, but I think I'm okay with an execution date this time. I'll explain later. Now, what's this about the room?"

The Doctor, then. Jay waited patiently for Martha to finish her conversation and so did the rest of the room's occupants, curious as to who and what the person on the other end of the call was and was saying. Even Marcus had fallen silent, although he didn't take his piercing eyes off of Martha.

Martha listened for a few short minutes, and then finally spoke. "Right. We'll be careful then, meet you there. Jay may or may not be with me. We'll see." She hung up and turned on her heel to face the people currently standing within the room. Her lips quirked at the looks on all of their faces; only Jay didn't look confused or anxious about who she'd been speaking with. "There's good news and bad news. Which one first?"

"Good news," Jay said before anyone else could speak. She should have asked for the bad news first, in case it was severe and they needed to move, because the Doctor was notorious for not saying anything until it was nearly too late. But she wanted to know if he'd found her brother.

"John says that he knows what took the employees and Lucas and possibly where to find them," Martha said cheerfully.

Julea gave a relieved moan, burying her face in her hands. Jay beamed, hopping up and down a little, while Iovita smiled kindly. Marcus's expression didn't change, still holding a scowl. Gently, Iovita said, "If that's the good news, Miss Jones, then do tell what the bad news is so that we may set off to find the young master and other missing persons?"

Martha lost the small smile that had appeared on her face at the relief on Jay's. "John says that he knows what took the employees and Lucas and possibly where to find them," she repeated, this time with a grimace. "He said that he'd meet us at the...at our...you know, Jay, and that he'd take us to go and retrieve them."

"And I told you that Jayden isn't going anywhere," Marcus gritted out.

Martha took one look at him, curled a lip, and retorted, "If you think for one minute that you can beat our driver at this… 'I'm in charge,' thing, then you are entirely wrong. If John wants Jay in our ship, then Jay is going to go to that ship whether you like it or not, _Mr. O'Connors._ " Her eyes flashed with warning and Jay snickered a little at the comment, because Martha wasn't wrong. There was no way in hell that Marcus O'Connors could face down the Doctor and come out on top in this situation. The Doctor commanded everyone's respect and received it - even if it was with hatred and reluctance. There was something about the way he could look you in the eye with all of the force of nine hundred years...or even the way that he could demean someone, which Jay had witnessed with her very own eyes.

The Doctor, when he was around, was in charge whether he wanted to be or not.

Although, Jay supposed, he was quite good at tricking people into believing otherwise…

Marcus pressed his mouth into a tight line before taking a deep breath and shouting at a volume that made everyone jump, " _ALICE!_ "

Alice popped her head in and was clearly fighting back a scowl. "Yes, Mr. O'Connors?" she said with exaggerated patience. "What can I do for you?" She was very clearly fighting the urge to snap at him for interrupting her job several times. Jay couldn't blame her; she would have snapped several minutes ago had she been anyone else.

Marcus ignored the attitude that was filling her voice and instead said in an icy tone, "You will escort Jayden, this girl," he curled a lip at Martha in disgust, "and myself to their friend. The rest of the security personnel will come and protect my wife and our guests."

"Iovita needs to come, too," Martha said immediately, not liking that Marcus would be joining them but willing to compromise despite Jay's immediate horror. Iovita blinked, but said nothing, believing it best to be silent as Marcus turned a lethal glare on Martha.

"And Iovita," he finally gritted out.

Jay took a deep breath, not entirely happy, but just as willing to put up with the situation as Martha was. "Let's go," she said, eager to get going before Marcus decided to hell with them and had Martha shot or something.

"Iovita," Jovita said suddenly and Jay's head snapped around. Iovita paused to look over her shoulder, her face turning cold and stony. Jovita narrowed his eyes, flicking them towards Jay. "Watch yourself."

"I didn't know that you had it in you to worry," Iovita retorted before brushing past everyone else and stepping out of the room. Jay and Martha were a step behind with Marcus hot on their heels. Alice smiled at Martha and Jay in greeting, peering curiously at Martha, squinting. But then she shrugged and they were on the move.

Jay slid her hand into Martha's, worry for Lucas suddenly wracking through her.

Martha squeezed her hand in comfort, and Jay found herself squeezing back sheerly because she was happy that her friend realized she needed it.

* * *

The Doctor couldn't say he was looking forward to meeting the man that he could see trailing behind Jay and Martha on the security cameras - or, at least, which ones hadn't been turned off by Martha. He'd have to fix that when they got there. After what he'd witnessed in the security cameras… He glanced at Charlie, who'd started staring quite seriously at the screens himself, his eyes wide with confusion. As if-

"What do you see?" the Doctor asked, thoughtful. It was always smart to get another's thoughts on what was being seen. Even when memories had been wiped, erasing those that informed the owner of what they'd seen.

Charlie jolted in surprise, alarmed. But then he relaxed, sheepishly smiling. "Nothing of interest. Just...Miss O'Connors's friend," he gestured to the screen, "she looks familiar to me."

"Martha?" the Doctor said in surprise. He nodded. "She's never been near this time and you lot aren't quite traveling too far just yet, so it can't be that you've seen her on another planet...have you seen _me_ before?"

Charlie shook his head, embarrassed now. "Sorry, sir. No." He paused. "What's her surname?"

"Jones."

Charlie stared at him long and hard before suddenly snorting loudly, grinning to himself in a rather silly manner. "That's why I recognize her. I'm a descendent." The Doctor blinked in shock. Charlie quickly clarified. "Martha Jones is a well-known relative from a few generations back on my mother's side. It's said she helped defend our planet on a variety of occasions along with her husband, Mi-"

He was cut off by voices filling the air and the Doctor was distracted from the interesting commentary almost immediately. He ducked out of the small room and was greeted by the sight of five people. A warm smile appeared as Martha called out his title, waving once in greeting. Jay didn't look quite as miserable as he'd worried she'd be, even managed a smile as she and Martha came to a stop before him. But her face was full of exhaustion - and they hadn't even gotten to the running part that was inevitable when traveling with him.

"Doc - uh, John, this is Iovita," Jay said suddenly, gesturing to a woman behind them. The woman looked amused when Jay didn't bother to introduce the Doctor to Iovita. "You remember Alice. And that's my father, Marcus O'Connors."

The Doctor had guessed as much - he could most definitely see the resemblance - but he could all ready tell that he wouldn't be very fond of the man. He eyed Marcus sharply, taking in the angry look on his face before turning to Martha. "Can I have my sonic back?"

"Yeah, here." Martha passed it to him with a grimace. "Suppose we don't need to shut off security cameras now, right? Oh, and here's your psychic paper…"

The Doctor tucked the psychic paper into his pocket and then spun on his heel, fiddling with the sonic screwdriver. "It appears that what took everyone isn't more than a slave race, much like the Ood or the pig-men we saw in Manhattan," he explained as one by one, the screens that had been fuzzy cleared and showed a variety of pictures. "They don't appear on the security footage, but I recognized the patterns of light that came through Lucas's window."

"Then someone else is behind it," Iovita sighed softly, looking sympathetic. "Which does not bode well for the boy and the employees."

The Doctor eyed her. Something about this woman...she knew who he was. He could tell by the way her white eyes were looking at him. But rather than questioning her, he nodded curtly. "But we're going to move quickly and stop them." He turned on his heel to face Marcus. Marcus looked startled that he'd dare to confront him when he said with a rather sharp tone, "Have you upset anyone as of late? Anyone alien and important?"

Marcus scowled. "No. I'm on good terms with all of my clients and other important people." Which clearly didn't include the Doctor, he supposed by Marcus's tone. He snorted softly and then turned to Jay, thinking. "It _could_ be someone angry with us."

"Could one of the Family got out of their prisons?" Martha mused, frowning. "Or a Dalek or something?"

"Possibly. We won't' know until we get there." He waved for the group to follow, amused when Martha suddenly took notice of how Charlie was staring at her. She narrowed her eyes a little at him, not liking it, but said nothing. "I don't want you three stepping on my ship," he added, gesturing to Charlie, Alice, and Marcus. He wouldn't have honestly minded Alice or Charlie, but maybe Marcus was less likely to argue if his security wasn't allowed on.

"Then neither is Jayden," Marcus said calmly and firmly, refusing to be ordered around.

The Doctor sent him a small glare before telling his companions, "This is why I don't make it a family adventure," he grumbled, and then looked to Jay when she cleared her throat to catch his attention.

"I'll stay out with my father, Charlie, and Alice," she said warmly, smiling gently to show that she was sincere. "It's fine, Doc- John," she hastily corrected, making a face. She wasn't used to calling him John. She shook her wrists out a few times, something the Doctor took notice of, but couldn't say anything about. Not in front of the people surrounding them.

"Alright then," he said confidently, much to Marcus's annoyance. "You'll stay out with the other three."

"Right," Martha said, "we should get moving then, right?"

"Right," the Doctor declared and then took off at a brisk walk down the hall. He didn't seem to notice that no one had followed him, for Jay had stopped dead in her tracks with a smirk on her features. Martha was giggling, stifling her laughter with her hands and Charlie and Alice exchanged entertained looks with Iovita. Marcus looked downright annoyed. Finally, the Doctor looked back. "What?"

Jay cleared her throat and then pointed down the other side of the hall. "Lucas's room is that way."

"Oh." Looking flustered, the Doctor turned and went the other way. Jay and Martha laughed so hard that there were tears in their eyes despite the serious situation they found themselves in. They set after him, keeping near one another, and the Doctor was glad to see that they were both doing all right.

As they walked, Jay suddenly said, "Did you ever say what the name of the slave species that took my brother is?"

"Luxari," the Doctor chirped. "They look like you, but with no eyes and a muzzle that is surprisingly large. They also have an extra set of arms and six fingers on each hand." He wiggled his fingers at her, earning a small chuckle from Martha. "They're strong, so watch yourselves when we get there."

"Wait," Jay muttered. "If I'm not going in the TARDIS, does that mean I can't go see the Luxari and whoever's taken my brother?" That would most certainly not work for her. She pressed her lips together in thought and took a few extra strides to catch up with him, her eyes wide. "Can we just..." She didn't even finish her sentence, glancing back at her father in despair. He didn't catch the look. "I guess I'll just trust the two of you to find Lucas and bring him home," Jay finally mumbled unhappily, "so promise me you'll make sure he gets there, okay?". The Doctor frowned and gave a curt nod, but said nothing about the matter.

When they reached Lucas's room, Jay was the first inside, pressing her lips together as she surveyed it again before looking to the Doctor. He had approached the TARDIS without hesitation and was fiddling with the key. The lock clicked and then he was pushing his way inside, Martha a step behind. Jay went to lean against the closed door while Jovita slid in eagerly after the Doctor and Martha, clearly excited to see what was on the inside. Jay heard her gasp in surprise at what she found and wished she could have gone in with them. Instead, she found herself outside, alone with Marcus, Charlie, and Alice. Charlie and Alice were craning their heads, trying to look inside.

" _This_ is the ship?" Marcus said in disgust. As a designer and seller of pieces for the ships that propelled his fellow humankind into space, he was nearly insulted by the fact that a blue box could even be considered a ship; it was nothing like he created. And it only angered him further that his daughter climbed into such close quarters with people who were so far below their status-

Jay interrupted his thoughts with a cold voice. " _This_ is a ship that makes all of the ones you've ever seen look pathetic."

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor sent the screen zipping around the console to face Martha. "Watch them," he ordered, indicating the screen that suddenly held an image of the four outside. "When Jay comes in, tell her to lock the door behind her."

Martha blinked. "How's she going to know to come in? Isn't she supposed to be staying out there with the others?"

"Just trust me," the Doctor chuckled.

"This is a beautiful ship," Iovita said, her voice happy. She clearly liked the inside of the TARDIS, crooning to herself over the fact that it was so much larger on the inside than it was on the outside. "Impressive," she muttered to herself as she walked back towards the console. "Absolutely incredible…"

"Don't tell him that," Martha muttered to herself, rolling her eyes as she watched Marcus bristle at Jay in a way that she knew meant nothing good. "He's arrogant enough as it is."

"I heard that," the Doctor called across the console, although he looked good natured about it. He typed in coordinates, setting up the controls so that the second they were ready to leave, they could. The Doctor kept half of his attention on the doors, waiting to see what Jay would do, but the rest on what he was doing. When he was done, he whirled around, searching his pockets for his psychic paper to ensure that he'd placed it where he thought it was. He found it quickly and then nodded curtly to himself. They were ready.

He whirled around the console to join Martha, who moved aside for him to peer intently at the screen. Jay was still leaning comfortably against the door, nonchalantly speaking with Alice. The Doctor made an impatient sound in the back of his throat, eager to get moving.

Jay suddenly jumped into action, however, the second Marcus turned his attention on Charlie. She spun right through the open door, snickering as she slammed the TARDIS door shut behind her. She hastily locked it as Marcus shouted her name angrily, looking furious as the Doctor sent the TARDIS into motion, leaving the head of the O'Connors family and his two security personnel to only watch as the time machine slowly faded out of view.

Grinning and shaking out her wrists, Jay said, "You could have left me. I trust you to come back."

The Doctor threw her a cheeky smile. "We need all hands on deck," was his response. "And why wouldn't we bring you to fetch your brother? We know how much you've worried for him, after all. Now!" he cried, moving on. "Since everyone's here, let's see what the Luxari wanted with him, shall we?" He exchanged a grin with Martha, and then pulled the lever that sent them spiraling into the vortex that would take them to where they needed to be.

"This," Jay muttered, wandering around the surprisingly large storage closet they'd landed in, "is not where you hold people who are being considered as a hostage, you know." The closet itself dark, everything made of sleek black material that she and Martha were sliding all over, as if it had just been polished and cleaned.

"Who says?" Martha grinned at her. "I mean, we've seen some interesting things. For all we know, they could be kept in the walls."

"Interesting idea," the Doctor commented, fidgeting with his sonic screwdriver. It beeped, a sound Jay couldn't remember it ever giving before. "But I don't think that's the case for this ship."

"Ship?" Iovita questioned, her white eyes looking eery and glowing in the darkness. She looked like a star in the darkness of space, Jay thought, noting how bright she was compared to everything around them. "Are we on a spaceship of sorts then, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked at her with delighted curiosity. "You know who I am then."

"Of course." Her face shone with amusement. "You and Miss O'Connors. You helped my planet. Of course, Miss Jones wasn't with you," she added apologetically with a glance towards Martha, "you had someone else. And you didn't look quite the same, but...you saved my species twenty-three years ago."

The Doctor looked surprised, and then glanced at Jay. She was with him when he wore a different face then. It was, at least, comforting to know that the poison wouldn't kill her for some time if it did at all. And it, much to his sadness, didn't bother him so much to know that Martha hadn't been there for that adventure. All of his companions left him in the end, whether it be because of him leaving them behind or them leaving him for a variety of reasons. Everyone left, coming and going, and all left special marks on his long life that he'd never forget.

"Hey!" Martha suddenly called. "Look at this!"

The Doctor spun on his heel, joining she and the others at the spot she'd indicated. There was no door in the storage closet - which they'd started the hunt for almost immediately upon stepping out of the TARDIS - but there did appear to be a small section of the wall that had sunken in. He touched it, stepping past Martha to do so.

The wall was smooth beneath his fingertips. His fingers seemed to sink into the material. He grimaced, immediately pulling his fingers back as a loud creak filled the air.

And then a slab of the wall simply fell away, crumbling into dust.

"Make sure you all stay close and don't wander off. Typical Luxari technology," the Doctor informed them, stepping into a long span of hallway that looked just like the storage closet. The Doctor set off, tucking his hands into his pockets, and the others followed after him quickly, not eager to be separated from one another when they had no idea where they were, even with the Doctor's warning. "Their original planet was destroyed in the Time War," he explained, thoughtful. Jay peered at him in confusion, having not had such a conversation with him just yet while Martha had and Jovita simply knew of it. "They used to be an independent group, not needing anyone else but not being violent. But after they lost their planet...they were taken in by several different other species, and most chose to take advantage of them."

"How sad," Jay said quietly. She tralied her finger along a wall as they walked, seeming interested in the material. She was too distracted to notice that her fingers suddenly became stuck until they snagged and she squawked, arm wrenched awkwardly. She stumbled back a step and then yanked, struggling to get her fingers out of the wall. "Doctor-"

"Don't panic," he said, somewhat amused. Martha, stepping up beside Jay with worry on her face, looked at him in exasperation while Jovita giggled at them all, entirely amused with their interactions. "Never panic," the Doctor added, stepping up to investigate, "it's not useful."

"Don't tell me not to panic," Jay hissed, tugging desperately at her hand again. She furrowed her brow, realizing her hand had sunk in further. "Doctor, it's sucking me in!"

"I can see that," he said, still patient. He used his sonic screwdriver on the wall, scanning it quickly and then looking at it to study the readings. When he didn't see anything, he put it to his ear, as if listening. "Nothing abnormal about it-"

"Well, it's abnormal enough to suck her in," Martha said, suddenly getting worried about it when Jay's hand sank in up to her wrist.

"Let me try something," Iovita hummed, suddenly pressing her fingers to the wall, just above Jay's. Her hand sank right into it and she shrugged before simply pressing herself to it, disappearing into it.

"Really?!" the Doctor cried. "Stay together, I told you. Don't wander off, and there she goes, wandering right off!"

"Okay, but can you get me out?" Jay begged, caught up to her elbow. Martha was leaning in, investigating the spot herself with a furrowed brow. She screeched when Jovita's face suddenly appeared in the wall, grinning at them. It was intimidating, Jay thought, staring at the pure white eyes that shone at them.

"It's safe," she said. "And Doctor, I believe that you will want to see this."

Jay looked to the Doctor for confirmation on whether or not she should do as Jovita did, but he was all ready curiously pushing himself into the wall. Martha hesitated before following and Jay tugged desperately a final time. Finally, she simply gave up and stepped through after them.

It was like stepping through a curtain. One moment, she saw nothing, and then, she was standing beside Martha, who was staring with wide eyes at the glowing green controls around them. There were sleek black panels, buttons surrounded by the green risen a little. Nothing held a sign as to what control was which, although Jay couldn't say that was unusual for many ships. Even the earliest spaceships on Earth had no signs as to what buttons did. The Doctor, not one for staying away from machinery when given the chance, practically bounced over to it, running his fingers over the sleek black material. "Beautiful," he murmured.

"Can you be excited later?" Martha said with a roll of her eyes, checking over Jay's wrist and arm. She released it a moment alter, reassuring her friend, "You're okay." Jay shrugged, having guessed as much. "We have some people to find."

"Miss Jones is right," Iovita said firmly, nodding curtly. "We must find the young master, the cook, and Madame."

"What better way to get someone's attention then to break something?" the Doctor said cheerfully, suddenly pointing his sonic screwdriver at the machinery. There were sparks as it buzzed, followed by a sudden crack as flames sprouted. Immediately, water was sent raining down on them from the ceiling. Martha and Jay screeched, throwing their arms over their heads, while the Doctor merely put his sonic screwdriver away, turning to face a piece of wall that had fallen away, forming a doorway.

Figures burst in. The Luxari were just as the Doctor had described them. With no eyes and a face that resembled a coyote, they were somewhat frightening to look like. The four arms and six fingers certainly didn't help. They didn't lunge for them or immediately try to kill the four intruders, which Jay supposed was somewhat comforting, but the way they were staring, intimidatingly…

Jay shivered, rubbing her arms. Tingles ran up and down through her elbows, but she pushed the worry about such a thing away. Now was not the time for an attack to strike. Martha took her hand and laced their fingers together, squeezing her hand comfortingly. Jay threw her a grateful look.

"Hello!" the Doctor said, as if in a chipper mood. But there was a glint in his eyes that told everyone he was anything but happy. He pushed his hands into his pockets, striding forward so that he stood before one of the Luxari. "Tell me, do you happen to have three or possibly more humans on board your ship?"

"Because that's going to work," Martha muttered, rolling her eyes again.

"Hush," Iovita hummed. "I'm sure that he knows what he's doing, Miss Jones."

Martha grumbled, but fell quiet as the Luxar before him wrinkled its snout and growled. The voice that came out of its throat was thick and low, wary yet not aggressive. "Humans have been brought aboard our ship."

"For what reason?" the Doctor asked. "You're generally a peaceful group, so what is making you do things like this?" He fired off each question in rapid succession, entirely serious.

The Luxar looked puzzled, its arms fidgeting every now and then as it turned its head back to look at another. The second Luxar looked just as puzzled, even without a pair of eyes to look at. "It is what we were told to do," it informed the Doctor before growling again. "Seize them, for our master desires it."

A few of them took a couple steps forward, eager to get their many hands on the humans and aliens before them. Martha and Jay clasped hands, stepping closer to the Doctor with suspicious looks. Iovita pressed her lips together uncertainly. Only the Doctor remained calm, mentally running through a variety of options. "No need," he decided aloud, earning exasperated looks from those with him. "Take us to your leader." He beamed. "Always fun to be able to say that. Quite a popular line coming from aliens in your times," he added to Martha.

Martha glared. "Really? Now?"

"Why not now?" the Doctor challenged. He waved to the Luxari. "Please, lead us to your leader. You don't even need to drag us. We're going willingly. See?" He held his hands up in surrender. "We surrender. Look, we're surrendering." He glanced back and looked pleased to see Iovita willingly copying him. Jay did the same, leaving only Martha to hesitate before doing so, too.

The Luxari decided it would be better to just go along with whatever this strange plan was. They turned and led the group down a new hall - the one they'd just come out of. The Doctor continued to appear cheerful, although he kept a close eye on Martha and Jay. If they'd been targeting people Jay knew, it meant they might come after them. And Iovita and himself, of course, but he wasn't too concerned about that.

They emerged into a room that was quite like the last, although this one was empty of any machinery. The only difference was the shelving on the walls - the shelving on which several bodies were lined. Jay gave a cry when she saw her younger brother on one of them. The Doctor kept his face neutral as he leaned in and murmured, "Do you know all of them?"

"No," she breathed. "Just Lucas, Madame, and the cook. I think there's a maid from the Third House, too. The others I've never seen before."

"That's because a few are from our entourage," Iovita said coldly. "All of our servants went missing when we arrived. They went to the room they were given and then never reappeared. I thought, perhaps, they'd merely gone to mingle with humans. Our species is a very...frivolous species. The rest are simply people who were likely in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Martha bravely following Jay when she shoved past the Luxari to go and check on Lucas. The Luxari shifted with growls in their throats, but she didn't pay them any attention as she bent over her brother. Lucas was breathing softly, unconscious, but there was a stiffness to his body that made her nervous, as well as tears rolling down his face in an endless stream. She touched his cheek; it was cold to the touch.

"What did you do to him?" Jay gritted out, angry.

"We did nothing," a Luxar informed her.

"They're right," Iovita murmured. "That would be the tradition of my people when we have people imprisoned. They are put into a coma and then forced to experience their worst nightmares. May I?" She stepped around the suddenly nervous Luxari to join Jay, nudging her aside. She rested her fingers over the boy's temples, closing her white eyes. "We are a telepathic species," she informed Jay without opening her eyes. When she pulled away, she made a sound of disgust. "They're all linked together. Wake one, you wake the others. Of course. Jovita arranged all of this alongside Marcus O'Connors. One or two more, and then they'd release a message to the world, demanding ransom money. They'd split it two ways and be on their merry way. I doubt, however, that Jovita thought he'd be caught for what he did to Miss O'Connors here. His execution date is coming up."

Jay was glad to know that he'd be punished for what he'd done to her, sending her to the creature that haunted her every move. Rubbing her tingling arms, she demanded, "Wait, does that mean Father is in charge of everything that happened here?" She turned her head to the Doctor, who was watching her quietly.

"I'm sorry," he told her gently. He knew that she rather disliked her father for everything he'd done and said, but he was still one of the people who had raised her. She'd even respected him at one point. Whether he was cruel or not, she loved him, and he'd turned around and destroyed everything for her. The Doctor understood; he'd experienced similar things, had friends and family who'd done the same.

Jay turned back to Lucas, stroking his face gently. "No wonder Jovita was invited back," she said hoarsely, shooting Martha a grateful look when she squeezed Jay's shoulder reassuringly.

"How do we wake them up?" Martha asked, looking intently at Iovita, daring her to say they shouldn't or couldn't.

"We-"

"You'll do no such thing."

Jay's shoulders tightened as she turned to face Marcus, who stood calmly and proudly among the Luxari. His face was a mask of cold rage, not once taking his eyes off of Jay. He ignored everyone else in the room. "You should have stayed where you were left," he told her. "Now look at you." He gestured to her as she rubbed her wrists. "You're disgusting. You've polluted the O'Connors bloodline. You had potential until you left. You could have been something much better than what you are. I would have sold you off to the highest bidder. The company would have done much better. I wouldn't have had to resort to this - harming my son."

Jay bristled, refusing to move away from Lucas. Martha kept herself right beside her, Iovita shifting a little in front of both of the human girls. The Doctor kept himself calm, saying simply, "Clever plan for earning a little bit of extra money. Tell me, why would you need to? What would Jay have earned you had she stayed where you and Jovita put her?" There was a hard edge to his voice, something that brought chills to Jay's spine. Something told her he was debating whether or not the man before them deserved mercy or not.

It was Jay who spoke, however, explaining to the Doctor and Martha. "In my time, women of the upper classes are used as pawns. Since we're the highest family and company, we've absorbed the majority of those close, the last being that of my mother's family. There's no one to really marry me off to. Maybe with the aliens coming now, but…" Her voice quivered. She hated talking about such things. "I don't know how that...thing would have come into play, but…it would have been a method of making money, I suppose."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Marcus scoffed. "You ruined that." He pointed to three of the Luxari. "Seize my daughter and her two friends. Iovita will be escorted back to the O'Connors' First House, where Jovita will expect her. He requested she be returned safely."

Iovita made a sound akin to a hissed growl in the back of her throat, setting into a solid stance.

"I wouldn't do that," the Doctor said suddenly, twirling his sonic screwdriver in thought. He was raking his mind for a plan, thinking of the room they'd left. Luxari technology was fragile. Delicate. The slightest unbalance would send the ship they were in plummeting to the earth below or even blowing up in orbit. The Luxari weren't capable of much more than that. They were quite aware of the delicacy of their equipment, too, and were well-prepared with self-equipped teleports, which meant they wouldn't be harmed if they sabotaged the ship. That just left the people on board and Marcus in addition to the four of them.

Marcus looked inclined to ignore the Doctor, but thought better of it. "Why?"

"Simple," the Doctor said cheerfully. "I took a peek at the engines. They're not running properly...and you know how fragile such equipment can be. If one thing is messed up..." He directed a quick look to Iovita, who inclined her head and sidled back a few steps until she was nudging past Jay, still facing Marcus. He gave Marcus a cold smile. "You won't make it back." If there was one thing he knew about people like Marcus O'Connors, it was that they were very, very self-centered and worried about their own well-being.

Marcus considered this for a few moments. And then he said, jabbing a finger in the Doctor's direction, "You'll fix it."

" _If_ ," the Doctor said, nodding at Martha,"you allow my companion here to return to my ship. Both of them," he added. He gestured to Jay as well. "Jay has nothing to give you, right?" He didn't like talking about his friends in such a way, but it would work. Hopefully. "There's no reason for her to be kept around. She'll be kept out of the way if she accompanies me and Martha. We don't come to this time often if at all."

"Fine," Marcus bit out, "so long as you fix the ship." He looked to a Luxar. "Take them to his ship. The blue box, the one in Storage Center Six."

"Yes, sir," the Luxar agreed hesitantly, looking to Martha and Jay.

"Doctor," Martha said nervously. "What about-"

"Trust me," he said with a bright smile. "Iovita will wait here, won't you?"

"Of course," she said. She winked when Jay and Martha looked at her. "I'll keep an eye on those here until everything's been solved," she hummed, although she held a secretive smile on her face. "Off you go, Miss O'Connors, Miss Jones."

Without much of a choice, Jay and Martha allowed themselves to be led away.

* * *

"I don't like this," Martha muttered as she and Jay walked side-by-side back to where the TARDIS had landed on the Luxari ship. They kept close, their arms brushing one another's.

"Neither do I, but I trust the Doctor to know what he's doing," Jay said firmly to her friend. She glanced over her shoulder, sighing softly in relief at the familiar sound of the TARDIS's beautiful song filling her ears. "He and Iovita have some kind of unsaid plan, I think. We just need to be ready."

"Right," Martha agreed. They reached the TARDIS and when they did, Martha unlocked the door and let them in. She closed the door behind them, listening as the Luxar snuffled curiously. She put her hands on her hips, looking around the massive ship interior. "I wonder...do you think we can watch on the screen? He was watching you two earlier. Had me watch and keep an eye on you."

"Maybe." Jay hurried over to the console, patting the controls affectionately. The TARDIS hummed in appreciation. "Hello, could you kindly help us out, old girl?" It was a term she'd heard the Doctor use when he addressed the time machine, and she seemed to like it, for the screen flickered to life, displaying the room with all of the unconscious people and Iovita. Several Luxari remained, eyeing Iovita as she bent over Lucas, her fingers resting over his temples.

Jay made a nervous sound in the back of her throat. She was sure Iovita was a decent person. But she still didn't know her very well, nor did she like the idea of her messing around with Lucas when she was some kind of telepath.

Suddenly, Lucas sprang upright, gasping for air with a look of sheer terror on his face. Martha and Jay jumped and then Jay was leaning closer to the screen, eyes wide as others around him began springing into the waking world, crying out. The Luxari looked so surprised that they couldn't move, their faces turned in every which direction and their arms fluttering uselessly.

"Lucas," Jay breathed worriedly. She turned on her heel, fully intending to leave the TARDIS, but Martha grabbed her wrist.

"The Doctor told us to stay here and if Iovita is waking them, it means he wanted it, which means that he's up to something," Martha said confidently. Of course, this had been something he'd questioned her about before they'd set foot into the O'Connors' First House. But Martha was confident the Doctor was up to something, because there had been no engines anywhere that they'd seen - unless, of course, the ship they were in had a different sound and look to their engines… Martha looked to Jay for answers on that. "He didn't look at any engines, did he? The Doctor."

"No, he didn't," Jay admitted, biting her lip. The song in her head was gentle, soothing. As if a comfort to reassure her that things would go as they would, and likely in their way as it they usually did. "I suppose…" She trailed off, squinting at the screen for a moment. Iovita was pointing in a direction, glaring at a Luxar until it started walking. The people on the shelves clambered down hastily and rushed after the Luxar.

"...are they coming _here_?" Martha said after the last person had left the screen, Iovita herding them all forward with a smirk curling over her lips.

Jay flew to the doors, opening them. She listened intently, and Martha hung back, waiting to see what Jay would say. A moment later, Jay laughed near hysterically. She darted out of the TARDIS and Martha peeked at the screen, which had switched to a space just outside the TARDIS, just in time to see Jay nearly knock her brother to the ground out of sheer relief. Lucas cried her name, arms wrapped around her neck.

Martha went over to the doors, opening them as wide as she could. The Doctor's plans were quickly becoming evident. She waited in the doorway as Jay led Lucas and the rest of those who'd been taken towards the police box. "Everyone in!" Martha called, stepping aside. "Wait until you're all the way inside to comment please." The Doctor was really going to miss out on a response he'd told them he'd liked when people stepped into the TARDIS.

"This is your spaceship?" Lucas gasped as Jay led him into the TARDIS by the hand. Others had similar responses as they filed in. The woman from the gardens hurried over to Jay and Lucas when she'd come in, completely bypassing everything.

"Are you both alright?" she fretted, touching Jay's shoulder and then patting Lucas's gently. "Were either of you harmed? I'm sure Mr. O'Connors will see to it that everything is fixed."

Jay shrugged her touch off coldly. "I'm sure he will," she said icily before abandoning Madame to join Martha. Lucas kept a tight grip on her hand, refusing to leave her for more than an instant. "Martha, any sign of the Doctor?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure he'll show up at any moment," Martha reassured, smiling in a friendly manner at Lucas. He smiled shyly in return. She tapped her fingers on the console. "Iovita," she called when the woman had entered the TARDIS, closing the doors behind her. "Make sure they don't go down that corridor over there. We won't be able to find them again. And I don't think the TARDIS would appreciate it."

Jay's lips quirked. Martha had come so far in recognizing that the TARDIS was alive. "Of course," Iovita told her with a nod and went to stand beside the entrance to the corridors.

"What is this place?" a woman whispered, staring around herself in awe.

Jay grinned. "Welcome," she said happily, "to our home."

Lucas studied her face at that, looking saddened by what she'd said, but said nothing himself.

* * *

The Doctor, knelt before the machinery in front of him, spared a quick look over his shoulder, calculating where the TARDIS was in comparison to where he was. He'd used his sonic screwdriver to locate it exactly. He'd have just under sixty seconds to run to his ship. Iovita should have had everyone awake and safe by then. The Luxari would flee via teleport systems, and that just left Marcus O'Connors, who was glaring at him, waiting for him to speak.

He remembered something he'd once said: _"I'm so old now. I used to have so much mercy. You get one warning."_

Sometimes, he did just that. He would give them one warning and then, if they didn't listen, he'd leave them to perish. It wasn't nice, but he didn't think himself to be a nice person. But this man...there was something about him that filled the Doctor with anger. Perhaps it was because of the way Jay blew off the words he'd said, as if it wasn't anything unusual. Maybe it was that he'd taken his own son and put him in danger along with everything else. It might have even been the fact that he'd had the chance to change his mind after sending his daughter off to experience the horrors of a creature that had effectively killed her.

Today, he found he wasn't merciful. Had he been on his own, he likely would have left Marcus O'Connors on that ship when he it blew. But he wasn't alone, and the man was the father of one of his friends. So...he'd drag him along. And he'd ensure that Jay decided what happened to him.

The Doctor did a final run over on where he needed to go and then took a deep breath before standing, whirling to face Marcus. The tails of his coat spun around him in a dramatic fashion - the very reason he preferred this one over several others. Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Well?"

The Doctor bounced on the balls of his feet. "There are three things you should know. One, you made a mistake in deciding your children would make good tools. Lucas and Jay are incredibly intelligent - brilliant, even, much like many of the human species. Two, you should have never allowed me to look at the ship. There was never anything wrong. Three…" He grinned. "Run."

The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the very machinery he'd been looking at. The Luxari cried out in horrified terror as he pressed the button, a buzzing sound filling the air, and all disappeared in flickers of light when the ship sparked violently, trembling beneath his feet. The Doctor took off at a dead sprint.

Sixty seconds. Marcus could follow if he wanted. And he did, shouting furiously at the Doctor, his sense of self-preservation too high to go down with the ship.

The Doctor led the way through the ship as the entire thing began to fall to pieces, walls crumbling around them. When he found the TARDIS, he raced for it. The doors were all ready unlocked, and he slammed through them, Marcus a step behind him. The Doctor hastily shut them and then bolted through the small group that had gathered in his ship to the console. "Martha, that button there!" he ordered, pointing to one near her hand.

"You're insane," she told him, slamming her palm over it.

Iovita took up stance beside Marcus, ensuring that he wouldn't go anywhere while Jay enlisted her brother's help to keep those around them calm when the TARDIS suddenly jerked violently. The Doctor flew around the center of the TARDIS console, ordering Martha to assist every now and then until finally, the familiar grating sound filled the air and the TARDIS began to move.

When everything had calmed, the Doctor let out a large breath, relieved. "There we are," he muttered, turning to Martha with a cheeky smile. "Alright?"

"Peachy," she said sarcastically, although she did send him a nod. As the TARDIS came to a stop, she said, starting towards the people crowded on the TARDIS, "Okay, everyone out! It's safe out there now, we swear." She paused. "It _is_ safe, right, Doctor?" He nodded. "Okay, then everyone out…"

Jay and Martha worked together to usher everyone out of the TARDIS. Some of them nearly ran out, relieved to get away from such technology. Others lingered, wishing they could see more and investigate the ship. Iovita made sure to drag Marcus out as Jay paused, her name called by the Doctor. She and Lucas looked back as Martha came to stand with them.

"Alright there, Lucas?" he asked.

Instead of answering right away, Lucas shook off Jay and trotted back over to the Doctor, startling the Time Lord when he threw his arms around the Doctor's waist. "Thank you for helping us," he said earnestly, "and thank you for helping J.J." He paused, pulling away, and then asked quietly, "Did...my father did all of this, didn't he."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said softly, brown eyes full of sympathy.

Lucas huffed, thinking it over. But rather than commenting on what his father had done, he waved for the Doctor to get down on his level. The Doctor complied, amused, and Lucas looked over his shoulder at Jay before saying, "Does she like it here?"

"I like to think so," the Doctor answered. This time he offered a warm smile. "We certainly have had fun, the three of us."

The young boy searched the Doctor's ancient eyes and then told him fiercely, "Take her back to the stars." The Doctor blinked, startled. "She's never been happy here. Take her back to the stars, even if I don't get to see her again. J.J. deserves to be happy, even if it's not with me."

The Doctor silently thought that the boy was speaking rather maturely for a child who'd been screaming at his caretaker in a childish manner previously. Then again, children were always able to surprise him. "If she wants to come," he said, aware that Jay had been listening with a sorrowful look on her face, "Martha and I would love to have her."

"Good. She wants to go." Lucas turned to give Jay a fierce look. "Jay! The star-man says you can go with them to the stars again."

Jay's lips twitched. "Thank you, Lucas. Good to know." She threw the Doctor a grateful look and then waved Lucas over. He jogged up to her, taking her hand again. "Come, let's get everything figured out...Doctor, Martha, are you coming?"

"Of course," Martha snorted. "We need to make sure that everyone knows what happened."

"I have to deal with my father," Jay muttered under her breath. She took a deep breath and then ducked out of the TARDIS with Lucas, aware that Martha and the Doctor were following at their own pace. She took a quick look around. They'd reappeared just outside the First House and various people were heading off in different directions, desperate to figure out what had happened to their families.

Security had spilled out of the First House, determined to figure out what was happening. Iovita stood close to Marcus, her nails digging into his shoulder. Alice and Charlie alongside other security members surrounded them, suspicious.

"Seize him," Jay ordered, catching their attention. She locked gazes with Alice. "He was working with Jovita to create a ransom situation alongside a slave race he took over. Which, I suppose, is highly illegal."

" _Was_ he now?" Alice murmured, taking a pair of cuffs that she kept on her person at all times. She took Marcus, who was spitting mad, from Iovita and spun him around, gritting out, "Charlie, go contact the actual police. I believe they'll be arresting Mr. O'Connors officially."

"This is ridiculous, release me at once," Marcus snarled.

Martha, standing beside Jay, frowned. "You're not going to demand anything in particular?"

"Why bother?" Jay grinned widely. "The loss of the O'Connors family reputation as well as the fall of his company will be quite the punishment, you know? I've always wondered what would happen if the O'Connors family lost its power. I guess we'll find out. Plus, Alice will make sure he's put in prison."

Lucas squeezed her hand. "What about Mother? She's not all bad, J. J. She got better after you disappeared."

Jay thought it over, aware that the Doctor and Martha were watching her closely. "She'll be alright," she murmured. "I'm sure our grandparents will look after her and you, Lucas." She squeezed his hand. "Now, go over to Charlie, okay?" She knew how this part of everything went. They always left while everyone was distracted.

Lucas threw his arms around her like he had the Doctor, hugging her tightly. "Will you visit?"

"I don't know, Lucas. We'll see," she murmured. She hugged him back tightly, kissing the top of his head. "Now go and find Mother. Madame's looking and you need to run while you can."

He pulled back, sniffling slightly. "Bye, J.J."

"Goodbye, Lucas," Jay said, rubbing her arms. Her eyes welled with tears. She loved her bother fiercely, but held no plans for ever coming back to this world that she hated so much. Martha took her hand as Lucas turned and took off to find his mother, squeezing it. Iovita glanced over, waving for them to join others, but Jay shook her head, smiling quietly and waving before turning to the Doctor. He was watching her closely, judging what she might be thinking and feeling. And then he smiled softly, a smile she returned. "Let's go," she said. "I want to go see something nice."

"Nice," the Doctor hummed, turning back to the TARDIS, his tongue curling around the word as he raked his mind for the thought of what might be nice. "There's a planet, covered entirely in ice…"

"How is that _nice_?" Martha demanded, following he and Jay.

"There's a waterfall. Everything is covered in ice, but the waterfall isn't," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Beautiful to look at. There's a ride that the residents have built to go over it…of course, we need to stop by Cardiff, fuel up the TARDIS..."

The Doctor continued, going on about what they would do as he ducked into the TARDIS. Martha and Jay ducked in behind him, and a few moments after the doors had shut, the TARDIS began to dematerialize. From where she stood, watching them leave even as a hysterical Julea O'Connors began demanding where her daughter had gone, Iovita chuckled before narrowing her eyes and turning to leave and find her brother. His execution, a punishment he'd received for putting a human in harm's way, which was a crime punishable by death in their world, would be next week.

And she wanted to have some words with him about what else he and Marcus O'Connors had planned over the course of their friendship.

* * *

 _And the end of the original chapters! Next, we're onto some Jack Harkness, which I'm very excited about. Jack plays a very important role when it comes to Jay, so._

 _Thanks to reviewers (_ _GhostlySights, bored411, and PrincessMagic!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all. :)_


	12. Utopia

As the TARDIS materialized, the grating sound it made when it moved filling their ears, Martha and Jay curiously watched the Doctor move about the console, chattering about why they were fueling up in Cardiff before taking off. "Cardiff! The thing about Cardiff is that it's built on a rift in time and space - just like California and the San Andreas Fault. The rift practically _bleeds_ energy and every now and then I need to open up the TARDIS's engines, soak up the energy, and use it as fuel."

"So...a pit stop before we go to the waterfall ride you were talking about," Martha said.

"A pit stop," the Doctor confirmed, leaning back against the console.

Martha suddenly furrowed her brow. "Wait a minute, they had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple years ago...was that you?"

"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen." The Doctor's eyes twinkled with mischief as he winked. "Long time ago. Lifetimes even. I was a different man back then." Sadness flickered across his face, but neither Jay nor Martha commented on it as he tilted his head, listening to a beep. "Finito!" he cried, turning to face the console again. "All powered up."

"That was fast," Jay mused, gripping the railing she was leaning on. She knew what was about to happen and grinned, excited to move on from thinking about her family. She took a deep breath and let it out. The Doctor spun around to look at the screen, ensuring that everything was set up. Martha was rubbing at an eye, so she didn't notice, but Jay certainly did when she saw a moment of fleeting panic race across the Doctor's face. He snapped into action, sending the TARDIS spinning into the time vortex. Before Jay could ask, however, the TARDIS jerked violently, sparks flying from the console. They all screamed and yelped as they hit the grated floor.

Martha grabbed the console, hoisting herself up. The Doctor did the same as Jay crawled over on her hands and knees, gasping for air. "What's that?" Martha cried.

The Doctor clung to the console, staring in horror at the screen. "We're accelerating into the future," he shouted over the commotion the TARDIS was making, sirens filling the air as it jerked this way and that. He reached over to help Jay up to her feet, and she joined he and Martha in clinging to the console. "The year one billion...five billion...five trillion. What?!" he cried suddenly. "The year one-hundred trillion? That's impossible!"

"Why?" Jay gasped, sputtering. "What happens in that year?"

The Doctor met her gaze, his own panicked. "We're going to the end of the universe."

He'd barely finished speaking when the TARDIS slammed sharply downwards, sending all of them sprawling again. Jay lay there, head spinning as the Doctor shot at his feet again. Martha lay there, too, both of them trying to catch their breath. "Well," the Doctor said. "We've landed."

"What's out there?" Martha asked, finally getting to her feet. Jay followed suit, brushing herself off and rubbing her chest nervously. When the Doctor said that he wasn't sure, it only made Jay more nervous. She didn't like when the Doctor didn't know; that was never, ever a good thing.

"Not even the Time Lords came this far," the Doctor murmured, taking a few steps towards the TARDIS doors after peeking at the screen that would show him what was outside. "We should leave...we should go. We should really, really…" He trailed off as Jay suddenly took off for the doors, ignoring everything he was saying. " _Jay_!"

She ignored him and threw open the doors, peeking around at a bleak landscape full of dust and half-dead plantlife. There were rough hills all around them, and it was night, the sky black yet empty of stars above their heads. A gasp suddenly left her, however, when she saw a shape crumbled on the ground near the TARDIS. "Oh, my God!" she shrieked, dropping beside the man she'd found. " _Martha_!"

Martha darted for the doors, the Doctor a step behind her, a grimace on his face. Martha took one look at what Jay had found and threw herself to her knees beside the man who was unconscious - no, Martha realized, checking for a pulse. Dead. The Doctor stayed out of the way, looking warily at the man, as if...Jay narrowed her eyes. Did he know him? She could hear a beautiful song echoing from him, much like that of the TARDIS.

"It's a bit odd, though," Martha suddenly said. She was leaning over him, performing CPR. "Not very one-hundred trillion. That coat's more like World War II."

"I think he came with us," the Doctor said calmly. "Must've been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. That's very him, I suppose."

"You know him," Jay said, confirming what she'd thought.

"Yeah," the Doctor muttered. He eyed the dead man with wariness, and Jay studied the Time Lord's expression as he let out a gust of air. "Friend of mine. Used to travel with me back in the old days." There was that sadness again, as if he missed the time he spoke of.

Martha looked even more miserable at realizing who was dead before her. "I'm sorry, Doctor, there's no heartbeat." She sat back. "I tried. There's nothing, he's-" She'd not finished her sentence before the man suddenly gasped, gulping down air as his hand latched onto Martha. Martha screamed, ripping away and nearly slamming into the Doctor's legs

Jay chuckled, leaning over the man with a kind expression. Somehow, people coming back from the dead around the Doctor wasn't surprising. It helped that the Doctor hadn't seemed the least bit worried about any of it. "It's alright, sir," she said kindly, patting his shoulder. "Just breathe deep, we've got you now." He was somewhat attractive, she noted distantly, with black hair, a strong jawline, and blue eyes that shimmered with a variety of thoughts and emotions.

He stared up at her in surprise, studying her face. "Captain Jack Harkness," he said, startling her. _American._ "And who are you?"

"Jayden O'Connors, but call me Jay," Jay answered, beaming at him.

"Nice to meet you, Jay O'Connors," he replied, a hint of a flirty smile appearing on his face.

The Doctor immediately scowled, looking annoyed. "Oh, don't start," he spat, glaring at Jack. Martha, shaking stepped forward to help Jack to his feet as he replied to the Doctor's rudeness.

"I was just saying hello," he snapped, shooting Jay another bright smile that he then turned on Martha. "And who are you?"

"Martha Jones," Martha said, flushing slightly. "And don't worry, Doctor, we don't mind."

Once on his feet, Jack brushed himself off and then turned to face the Doctor. They stared at one another with cold expressions. "Doctor," Jack said icily. "Good to see you."

"And you, Jack," the Doctor said, clearly not meaning what he'd said. "Same as ever...although...have you had work done?"

"You can talk!" Jack barked, bristling.

"The Doctor touched his jaw in thought, nodding to himself. "Oh, yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?" He was eyeing Jack as if there was something wrong with him.

"The police box kinda gives it away." Jack's words were biting - sarcastic. "I've been following you for a long time. You _abandoned me_." The Doctor shrugged him off, earning a worried look from Jay. Did he normally abandon friends in such a way? That they were forced to chase him to the end of the universe for him to look their way? "I have to ask," he said suddenly, losing the bitterness. His expression was sincere now. Jack looked worried. "The Battle of Canary Wharf...I saw the list of the dead." The Doctor tensed. "It said Rose Tyler."

"Oh, no!" the Doctor cried, even as Martha frowned, not pleased with where the conversation was going. "Sorry! She's alive!" A grin suddenly decorated the Doctor's face, although it seemed somewhat forced. "Parallel world, safe and sound. And Mickey - and her mother!"

"You're kidding?!" Jack breathed, grinning. He gave a laugh as he hugged the Doctor tightly.

Understanding filled Jay as she backed away to stand near Martha. So Jack was from the time in the Doctor's life in which he'd had Rose with him. She could understand they're happiness at what the Doctor was saying. Yet, Martha looked upset by the mention of Rose, something that admittedly bothered Jay. Martha had always hated any mention of the girl who'd been there before them. Jay couldn't understand why. Of course the Doctor had traveled with someone else; he was ancient, always moving. Why would they be the firsts? And Rose, clearly, had been someone special to the Doctor. He'd loved her, even. He'd never outright said anything close, but it was evident in the way he spoke of her. You didn't forget about someone you lost by force - not like Martha wanted.

After the Doctor had locked the TARDIS doors, they set off with no destination in mind, intent on figuring out where they were. Jack launched into the story of how he'd been abandoned, shooting glares at the Doctor as he told it. Jay walked beside her fellow American, Martha trailing along a little behind with the Doctor leading the way.

"So there I was," Jack said, "stranded in two-hundred-one-hundred, ankle-deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me. But I had this." He winked playfully at Jay, tapping a watch-like device on his wrist. Jay cocked his head, questioning him what it was. "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator." He sent the Doctor a quick glare. "He's not the only one who can time travel."

The Doctor glared right back at him. "That is _not_ time travel. It's like I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper."

Jay glanced back at Martha, and both women laughed. Martha teased, "Boys and their toys."

"Alright, so I bounced," Jack said, continuing his story. "I thought: 'Twenty-first century, best place to find the Doctor.' Except that I got it a little wrong. I arrived in eighteen-sixty-nine and this thing burnt out, so it was useless after that." The Doctor threw a smug look at him, clearly pleased that it had messed up. "I had to live through the entire twentieth century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."

Jay tripped, staring at Jack in shock. "That makes you over one-hundred years old, Jack."

"And looking good, doncha think?" he said in response, winking at her. "So I went to the time rift, based myself there 'cause I knew you'd come back to refuel, until finally I get a signal on this detector I had that you were there and here we are."

"How come you left him behind, Doctor?" Martha asked suddenly, hurrying to walk beside Jay. The Doctor didn't answer outside of a curt "I was busy," which turned out to be a bad answer for Martha. "Is that what happens, though? Seriously? Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

"Not if you're blonde," Jack said with a shrug.

In a loud sarcastic tone of voice, Martha threw her arms up and said, "Oh, she was _blonde_? What a surprise!"

"Hey," Jay protested, glaring at Martha. "I'm blonde, thank you very much!"

"You three!" the Doctor suddenly burst out, annoyed. "We're at the end of the universe, alright? We're at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy...blogging! Come on." He stormed forward, ignoring Jay's sputtering, Martha's annoyance, and Jack's smug grinning at the fact that he'd been bothered by their conversation. The Doctor stopped at the edge of a canyon, frowning down at what had once been a city but was now a series of ruins. When Martha asked if it was just that, he said slowly, "A city, hive, or even a nest. Maybe a conglomeration. Looks like it was grown. But look there." He waved at a certain area, which was criss-crossed with paths. "Pathways, roads. There must have been some sort of life. Long ago."

"What happened?" Martha asked softly, staring down at the ruins.

"Time," the Doctor answered quietly, his dark eyes studying the ruins. "Just...time. Everything's dying now. All of the great civilizations have gone. This just isn't night." he added, gesturing to the starless sky above them. "All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing."

Jay felt a flicker of sadness race through her as she looked over the ruins of what had once been a city, listening to Jack muse, "It must have an atmospheric shell. We should have frozen to death by now."

"Well, the three of us, maybe," the Doctor hummed, rocking back onto his heels. "Not so sure about you, Jack." Jay looked at him suspiciously, confused by what he meant. But he had turned his attention onto Martha, paying attention to what she was asking.

Zoning out, Jay merely looked over the city until she took notice of something. She squinted, and then grabbed Jack's arm, lightly pulling and pointing to a pathway that crossed through the center of the city. "Jack," she said, "is that...is that a _person_? Running?" She watched more intently as others emerged, chasing after them. Her voice lifted to a shout. "Doctor, they're _hunting_ someone!"

The Doctor grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he cried and then took off at a run, following the ridgeway towards a slope that led down into the canyon. The others followed him, all running as fast as they could to keep up. Jay found herself breathless, pain zipping through her shoulders as they hit a roadway and took off down a street. Jack laughed, saying something that Jay didn't catch, but she had the feeling that it wasn't something that she'd agree with.

They met the running man halfway down the road they'd found, and he slammed into Jack, who took a hold of his shoulders. "I've got you," Jack gasped.

The man took him by the arms, shaking him with panic. "We've gotta run! They're coming! They're _coming_!"

Jack took on a fierce look at the sight of several people running towards them, their faces anything but pleasant. Jack pushed the man towards the Doctor and then pulled out a gun, immediately earning a disapproving look from the Doctor. Jay silently admitted that it made him more attractive as he fired it off into the air. The people froze. "What the hell are they?" Martha breathed, dark eyes wide as she stared at their strange appearances.

"There's more of them," the nervous man replied. "We've got to keep going."

"We can go to the TARDIS," Jay suggested, looking at him with a warm, reassuring smile. "It's safe, and isn't too far from here, just...oh." She'd looked over her shoulder and found a group of the same people behind them, trapping them and effectively separating them from the TARDIS. " _Oh_."

The Doctor looked grim, but payed attention as the man said hastily, "We're close to the silo! If we get to the silo, then we're safe." The four time-travellers looked among one another and then nodded. "This way, follow me!" He took off and they all did with him, running. Jay felt as if she could feel them breathing down the back of her neck as they ran for a gated area that began to appear before them.

"It's the Futurekind!" the man screamed as they ran. "Open the gate!" They all slammed into the chainlink blocking them from entering. There were guards on the other side who jumped in surprise.

"Show me your teeth!" the guard nearest barked, moving forward. He repeated this several times until the man they'd found told them to show their teeth to the guards. All five of those fleeing the Futurekind grinned, showing off their teeth. "Human!" the guard declared, moving quickly. "Let 'em in! Quick!" They ducked through the gates as the guard stepped forward to fire his gun at the feet of the Futurekind, stepping back only when the gates were ready to close. Jay turned to watch as one of the Futurekind in particular stepped forward, licking his lips.

"Humans," he purred, voice hoarse and cracked, sending chills down her spine. "Make feast."

"Go back to where you came from! I said go back!" He aimed his gun.

Jack scowled. "Oh, don't tell _him_ to put down his gun," he snapped at the Doctor, heaving for breath.

"He's not my responsibility!"

"And I am? What a change!"

Ignoring their arguing, Jay snapped, rubbing the tops of her arms, "Really? Can't you argue later?" She gasped for breath until she caught her breath. Finally, she told the guard, "Thank you for letting us in. We appreciate it."

The man who'd been running originally nodded his agreement as he said shakily, "My name is Padrafet Shafekane. Please tell me, can you take me to Utopia?" His tired dark eyes shone with hope and the guard chuckled softly, smiling at him.

"Oh, yes, sir," he told Padrafet. "Yes we can. This way, please."

Jay took a deep breath, forcing her attention on where they were headed instead of the pain in her arms and took the lead. Jack hurried after her with Martha, the Doctor at the back with another guard. They were lead into a mountain, a tunnel that had been carved through it. The silo, they were told it was called. They were greeted in the entrance by a few other people. The Doctor approached one of them, asking about his TARDIS as Jay and Martha hung back with Jack. Padrafet went to another person, pleading, "I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo. Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafekane and my brother is Beltone."

The man that Padrafet had approached, having introduced himself as Atillo, shook his head. "I haven't heard of anyone. The computers are down, but you can check the paperwork. Creet!" he suddenly called, and a boy of about ten years old with dusty blonde hair and sparkling eyes peeked around a corner. "Passenger needs help."

Creet emerged from around the corner, smiling at Padrafet. "What d'you need?" he asked, offering his clipboard.

Having dealt with Padrafet, Atillo turned to the Doctor, waving him over. The Doctor hurried over, the man he'd been speaking to looking relieved to be rid of the Time Lord. "What are you looking for?" Atillo asked patiently.

"A box," the Doctor said and Martha and Jay exchanged exasperated looks. As if that would be a useful description. "It's a big blue box. I really need it back and it's stuck out there. Big, tall, wooden. Says 'police.'"

Atillo searched his gaze for a few moments and then said, "We're driving out for a last water collection. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," the Doctor said. He smiled faintly at his friends as he rejoined them, Padrafet, and Creet, the last of two waiting on the rest of them. Once they were all gathered together, Creet waved for them to follow him, leading them down a hall.

"Sorry, but how old are you?" Martha asked as they paced down the hallway.

"Old enough to work," Creet said seriously, ducking into a corridor lined with people, all of which were huddled together in various groups. He began calling out the names of Padrafet's family and the further in they went, the more worried Padrafet began to look.

"This is amazing," Jay said in awe. "It's...it's like Hooverville, remember, Martha? Full of the people who couldn't make it anywhere else, and...they're all survivors." She wrinkled her nose. "It smells a little off, but…"

The Doctor beamed at her, pleased with what Jay had said. "Humans. They're all brilliant little humans, surviving at the edge of time. Much better than a million years evolving into clouds of gas and then another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans." He shot Martha a sparkling smile, looking excited. "End of the universe, and here you all are! Indomitable. Ha!"

"Is there a Kistane Shafekane?" Creet called, ignoring the cheerful Doctor.

"That's me," a woman suddenly called, standing. She looked exhausted. She strode over, limping a little, and then stared at the man beside them. "Pad...Padrafet? Oh, my-" She lunged for him with a sob, and he embraced her with a relieved grin. Another man hurried forward to join the hug - Beltone, Jay was thinking.

"It's not all bad news," Martha said quietly and Jay nodded, too distracted by the fact that the Doctor was suddenly sonicking a closed door. Martha followed her gaze and frowned, asking, "Doctor, what on earth are you-"

She'd not finished her sentence when the door suddenly slid open and the Doctor, leaning on it, nearly toppled forward into open air. Jay lurched forward with a cry, but Jack beat her to it, grabbing the back of his jacket. "Gotcha!" Jack gasped.

The Doctor, startled, let him pull him back. "Thanks," he said roughly.

"How did you cope without me?" Jack teased and then looked over when Martha said with a grin, peeking through the doors, "That's what I call a rocket."

"They're not refugees, are they? They're passengers, heading for a place called Utopia," Jay breathed, smiling a little as she inspected the rocket from what she could see. It wasn't too impressive. It wasn't sleek and fancy, or simple and old like the rockets from Martha's time. No, this one was a complex tangle of metal radiating heat that drew sweat to their brows. She smiled at the impressive feat. "This is amazing," she breathed.

The Doctor shot her an approving grin and then pushed his hands into his pockets. "The perfect place. One-hundred trillion years. It's still the same old dream. Do either of you recognize those engines?" the Doctor asked, looking to Jack and Jay.

Jay simply shook her head, and Jack said, looking curious as to why Jay would have any idea about rocket engines, "Nope. Whatever it is, it's not rocket science, but it's definitely hot."

"Boiling," the Doctor agreed. They all stepped back and Jack slid the door shut, leaning back against it in thought. "But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?" the Doctor wondered aloud. "Where is it?"

"Doctor," Martha said suddenly, gesturing to someone who was running as fast as they could. An older man was approaching, face alight with excitement. He nearly slammed into the Doctor, who grunted when the man grabbed his shoulder in a white-knuckled grip.

"The doctor?" the man gasped, staring harshly at him. "Are you the doctor that arrived with the newcomers?"

"Yes. Well," he said, pausing, "I'm the Doctor, but not of medicine. Well, in some places. Medicine." He grimaced and then blinked when the unnamed man began to drag him away by the arm, repeating the word "good" under his breath. Not willing to lose track of their pilot, the others followed - something the Doctor was grateful for, looking over his shoulder to ensure that they were.

The man led them through a variety of corridors. They followed, Jack keeping Martha and Jay in front of him to ensure that if need be, he could pull his gun on whoever tried anything. He didn't trust anyone here. He'd learned the hard way not to trust people unless they'd proved who they truly were in dire situations. Excluding the three he was with, however. The Doctor didn't take bad people around with him.

They entered an area where an alien woman was waiting and Jay studied her with curiosity. Martha blinked, startled by the sight of her after so many human-looking people within the silo. "Chan, welcome, tho," the alien woman chirped excitedly, smiling at them all.

The man bypassed her entirely, dragging the Doctor away as he said, "This is the gravitissial accelerator...and over here is the footprint impeller system, if you know anything about endtime gravity-"

His voice faded off as he and the Doctor left Martha, Jay, and Jack to speak to the alien woman. Martha offered her a hesitant smile. "Hello," she greeted. "Who are you?"

"Chan, Chantho, tho," the woman replied with a warm smile.

"I'm Jay," Jay immediately replied, offering a hand to shake. "And these are Martha and-"

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack nearly purred, smiling broadly at the suddenly amused looking Chantho. She didn't look the least bit interested, but that didn't mean Jack couldn't try.

"Stop it," the Doctor snapped, suddenly appearing with the man that had dragged him off. The man looked happy, delighted that they were there. Jay eyed him, curious as to whether or not he had some kind of radar telling him what was going on.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack muttered irritably.

Chantho chuckled. "Chan, I do not protest, tho," she told the Doctor, her eyes twinkling with mirth. She suddenly turned to pay attention entirely to the man with the Doctor, alert and waiting.

Rather than following Jack and Martha, who suddenly wandered a short distance away, Jay approached the Doctor, who beamed at her, pausing mid-sentence. "Jay, this is Professor Yana." He waved to his friend, smiling at Yana. "Professor Yana, this is Jay O'Connors, a friend of mine. Over there is Martha Jones and Jack Harkness."

Overhearing, Jack called, " _Captain_ Jack Harkness!"

Jay giggled and them smiled warmly in greeting at the professor. "A pleasure to meet you."

Yana beamed at her in response and then turned back to the Doctor. "Without the stable footprint, we'll never achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonize the five impact patterns and unify them...well, we might yet make it. What do you think? Any ideas?"

"Um...basically...not a clue," the Doctor admitted, running a hand through his mess of brown hair. He glanced at Jay to see if she could think of anything in what little she'd heard, but she shook her head, too, rubbing her shoulder awkwardly. Yana looked so disappointed that the Doctor told him gently, "We're not from around these parts. None of us. We've never seen a system like it. Sorry."

Dejected, Yana sighed, "No, no, I'm sorry. It's my fault...it's just, there's been so little help." He fidgeted unhappily with his hands, looking around as if guilty, and the Doctor was opening his mouth to reassure him that they would try and help when a cry of "Oh, my God!" from Martha had his head snapping around. He and Jay took off at a brisk walk, Yana trailing behind. They found her at a table with wide eyes, staring at a container full of bubbling liquid that contained-

"You've got a hand," Martha told Jack faintly. "A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in...in your bag."

"What the hell are you doing with a hand in your bag?" Jay demanded, staring at the limp piece of flesh.

The Doctor suddenly gasped, looking shocked. "That's my hand!"

Jack smirked, looking proud of himself even as he looked at the two women with them in amusement. "I said I had a Doctor detector, didn't I? What better way to find him then his own hand?"

"Chan," Chantho suddenly said, peering curiously in the container, "is this a tradition amongst your people, tho?" She looked interested in what possible culture could demand such a tradition.

"Not on my street, and certainly not on hers," Martha said, jerking her chin at Jay, who was looking very interested in how the Doctor could have lost a hand but still had one attached to his arm. Martha turned to look at the Time Lord, her brow furrowed. "What d'you mean that's your hand? You've got them both, I can see them!"

"Long story," the Doctor said dismissively, waving her off. "I lost my hand Christmas Day in a swordfight with the leader of the Sycorax."

"And...and you just...happened to grow a new hand?" Jay asked, raising a brow.

"Um...yeah," the Doctor confirmed. "Yeah, I did. Yeah." He lifted a hand, smirking at them both and wiggling his fingers in a little gesture that sent shivers down Martha's spine. "Hello."

Looking surprised, as if realizing that the Doctor was nowhere near as human as the others, Yana questioned curiously, "Might I ask what species you are, Doctor?"

"Time Lord." His voice was a mixture of pride and sorrow. "Last of them. Heard of them? Legend or anything?" Yana and Chantho both shook their heads and he looked somewhat disappointed. "Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."

Yana looked proud as he introduced her properly. "My assistant and good friend, Chantho. A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge here."

Chantho smiled at him with sympathy, her eyes full of sorrow. "Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species, too, tho." She looked off to the side, as if remembering what it had been like when there were more of her kind around. "Chan, the conglomeration died, tho."

"Conglomeration! That's what I said!" the Doctor cheered, proud that he'd been correct. A sharp look from his companions and Jack, however had him sobering, clearing his throat. "Sorry."

Chantho didn't look bothered at all, even slightly amused. "Chan, most grateful, tho."

"So...you grew another hand?" Martha said, focusing their attention back to the matter of the hand. She looked a little ill. Jay chuckled, patting her shoulder.

The Doctor smirked, wiggling his fingers again at them. "Hello again. It's fine. Look, really, it's me." He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers a third time. When Martha had reluctantly grabbed them, he shook her hand gently. Martha nervously laughed, and the Doctor clucked his tongue, winked, and then turned his face towards Jack when the captain spoke.

"So what about those things outside?" Yana and Chantho looked confused, so Jack clarified, "The Beastie Boys. The ones that chased us. What are they?"

"We call them Futurekind," Yana explained, sighing softly. "They are a myth in itself. It's feared that they are what we will become unless we reach Utopia." When they stared blankly at him, confused, he waved them over. He led them to a computer and pulled up a navigational chart that held a red dot, which blinked calmly on the screen. Gesturing to it, he explained, "The call came from across the stars over and over again. 'Come to Utopia.' It originated from that point." The Doctor questioned where the point was, and Yana continued. "Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness. Out towards the wildlands and the dark matter reefs. Calling us in. The last of the humans, scattered across the night."

"What do you think's out there?" Jay asked, cocking her head. Perhaps it was a call from a civilization now gone. It was the end of the universe, after all.

"I don't know," Yana said, determined. "A colony, a city...some sort of haven? The Science Foundations created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now, perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?"  
Jay nodded slowly as she studied Yana, a furrow suddenly appearing in her brow. Out of seemingly nowhere, there was a series of thudding sounds that had appeared in the air. She didn't think anyone else had heard them, for no one else looked around for them. Yana, however, suddenly looked unhappy, zoning out as the Doctor spoke.

"Oh, yes," he said, smiling. "And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not automatic, which is a good sign. Someone's out there."

 _Ba-ba-ba-bump._

"And that's...ooh, that's a navigation matrix, isn't it?" the Doctor continued even as the sounds, which were suspiciously like drums, grew louder in her head.

 _Ba-ba-ba-bump._

"So you can fly without stars to guide you."

 _Ba-ba-ba-bump._

"Professor?" the Doctor suddenly said, snapping Yana out of his thoughts. Jay blinked when the sound vanished, eyeing Yana warily with her jaw working furiously. "Professor, are you alright?"

Pushing away from the screen, suddenly agitated, Yana huffed, "Enough talk, there's work to do. If you could leave, thank you." He shot to his feet and stalked off, leaving even Chantho stunned. The Doctor repeated his question and Yana shouted, "I'm fine! And busy!"

Calmly, not rising to the same level of agitation, the Doctor said, "Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it? This footprint mechanism thing isn't working." Yana paused, and he pushed onwards. "You're stuck on this planet and you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're going to fly."

"It's better to let them live in hope," Yana retorted, his voice hoarse with grief.

"Quite, right, too," the Doctor said, shrugging off his coat. He tossed it to Jack, who took it in silence. "And I must say, Professor Yana, this new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost. So I wonder…" He started for the mentioned circuit, sonic screwdriver in hand. With a careful hand, he picked up the circuit and held it thoughtfully in his hands before smirking and switching it on. It came to life and Chantho looked incredibly impressed, her eyes lighting up as she clapped her hands together in delight. Martha chuckled alongside Jack, and Jay just smiled to herself, shaking her head. The Doctor shot her a cheeky grin. "Oh, we've been chatting away, Professor Yana. I forgot to tell you. I'm brilliant."

* * *

Atillo's voice rang out throughout the silo as the group worked furiously to get the rocket working. _"All passengers prepare for immediate boarding. I repeat, all passengers prepare for immediate boarding. Destination: Utopia. All troops fall back to the silo. I repeat, all troops fall back to the silo."_

Rather than joining Martha and Chantho, as she'd thought she'd be doing, or even helping Jack monitor the entrance of people into the spaceship, the Doctor dragged her over to join he and Yana. Jay warned him that though she knew a little bit about rockets thanks to her father's work, she wasn't anywhere near an expert. He responded that even a little bit of knowledge might be useful.

Jay looked curiously over a large, clear circuit board in the center of the lab they'd been working in, just as the Doctor and Yana were. The Doctor suddenly picked up a chord, curious. "Is...is this…?"

Yana looked proud. "Yes, gluten extract. Binds the neutralino map together."  
Jay didn't understand a single thing about what that meant, but the Doctor looked incredibly impressed. "But that's food," he said. "You've built this system out of food and string and staples. Professor Yana, you're a genius." Yana waved him off, telling him that he was the one who made it work, but the Doctor shook his head. "It's easy coming in at the end, but you're stellar. This is _magnificent_."

"Take the compliment," Jay told Yana, smiling teasingly at the Doctor as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "He doesn't say that often about other people."

Yana looked flattered, even as he said, "Even my title is an affectation. There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another."

"If you'd been born in a different time, you'd be revered," the Doctor informed Yana, looking at different pieces of the circuit board. "I mean it," he added when Yana chuckled, as if amused by the idea. "Throughout the galaxies."

"More than my father," Jay agreed.

"Oh, those damned galaxies," Yana chuckled again. "They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice. Just a little. Just once."

"You've certainly got our admiration now." The Doctor put his hands on his hips and looked to the pair with him. "That footprint engine thing. You can't activate it from onboard. It's gotta be from here. You're staying behind, aren't you?"

"With Chantho," the grimacing professor admitted. "She won't leave without me...simply refuses."

Jay's lips quirked. Chantho liked the professor, who just wouldn't look at that option. But there was sadness in her expression as she said gently, "You want to give up your life so that the others can go to Utopia."

"I'm too old for Utopia. It's time I had some sleep," Yana answered calmly, looking gently at her before looking up when Atillo's voice rang out above their heads.

 _"Professor, tell the Doctor we've found his blue box."_

The Doctor cheered and then went to join Jack at the monitor that he was watching, Jay only a step behind. The Doctor looked beyond excited at the sight of his ship. "Hey, Professor Yana, we may have just found you a way out!" he told the professor before striding out of the room, fully intending to bring it to the lab. Yana peered over Jay and Jack's shoulders, studying the blue box.

 _Ba-ba-ba-bump._

Jay turned to look at Yana again, suspicion rising in her as the sound filled her head, over and over again. No one else seemed to notice that he was hearing such things; not even Yana seemed to notice, too invested in something else running through his mind.

"Jack," Jay began, intending to tell him, but they were distracted when the Doctor returned, dragging a long thick wire with him. He flashed them all a grin. "Extra power," he told them, heading straight for an outlet. He shoved it in. "Little bit of a cheat, but who's counting? Jack, you're in charge of the retro-feeds. Jay, you stay with him and make sure he doesn't do anything."

"Hey," Jack protested and Jay rolled her eyes, winking playfully at Jack. She wouldn't do anything of the sort, but she'd most certainly help him. Martha chose that moment to reappear and when she declared her relief at seeing the TARDIS, Jay grinned at her. Martha used to rather dislike the TARDIS, but it was looking as if she liked it decently now.

Chantho ditched Martha to ensure that Yana was okay. "Chan, professor, are you alright, tho?" she asked, touching his arm gently.

Jay spared another look at him, narrowing her eyes as he reassured her that he was fine. _Bu-bu-bu-bump_ went the sound that she was confident was being made in his head. He was anything but.

"Connect those circuits into the spar," Jack suddenly ordered Martha. "Same as that last lot, but quicker."

"Yes, sir," Martha said sarcastically, and went to work.

Jay went to join her, but stopped when the Doctor said, "You don't have to keep working, Professor Yana, we can handle it."

"It's just a headache. Just...just noise inside my head, Doctor, constant noise inside my head." She went to join them again, her eyes narrowed as she listened and the Doctor questioned what type of noise. "It's the sound of drums. More and more, as though it's getting closer. I've had it all my life, every waking hour. But I suppose...no rest for the wicked." He smiled faintly and then hoisted himself to his feet, prepared to get back to work. Jay narrowed her eyes, never taking them off of Yana for an instant. Deciding to forgo helping Jack in favor of keeping an eye on him, she simply leaned against a wall, watching.

They worked for a short while until Atillo's voice suddenly filled the air, coming from the screen that they'd been using for communications. _"Professor, are you getting me?"_

Yana flew back to the monitor and Jack moved aside so he could speak into it. "I'm here! We're ready. All you need to do is connect the couplings, then we can-" The connection vanished, as did Atillo's face, and Yana cursed. "God sakes! This equipment needs rebooting all the time!"

Martha, joining Jay and Yana, swiped her hands on her jeans. "Anything I can do over here, Professor? I've finished that lot. Chantho' still working on her part."

"Yes, if you could, just press the reboot key every time the picture goes out," Yana informed her, moving aside to give Martha his seat. "Thank you." Atillo's face reappeared as he asked if they were still present. "Ah, present and correct. Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here."

 _"He's inside and good luck to him,"_ Atillo reported.

"Captain," Yana called to the Doctor firmly, "keep the levels below the red."

"Where is that room?" the Doctor questioned curiously.

"Underneath the rocket. Fix the couplings and the footprint can work." Yana spoke quickly and cheerfully. "But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation - wouldn't want to hear of it, Doctor, but it's safe enough. We can hold the radiation back from here." They watched on Atillo's screen intently. Jay leaned over Martha's shoulder with the Doctor, her face serious. "It's rising… zero-point-two," Yana murmured. "Keep it level!"

"Yes, sir!" Jack called.

"Chan, we're losing power, tho!" Chantho suddenly cried and the Doctor stared in horror as the radiation began to rise.

"We've lost control," Jack breathed. "That chamber's going to flood!" Without waiting he turned and ran for live wires that hadn't been connected for a reason, and Jay lurched after him with a gasp, knowing what would happen. "We can jump start the override," Jack declared.

"Jack, _don't_ ," Jay gasped, but Jack determinedly held the cords together, crying out when the electricity jolted through him. Jay jerked back in terror, not wanting to be anywhere near the currents that were likely flooding her new friend's body. But she didn't go far, waiting until she was sure the electricity wasn't running through him or the surrounding area to drop beside him. "I've got him," she announced.

"Chan, don't touch the cables, tho," Chantho warned before turning back to what they were doing, her eyes swimming with misery. Martha dropped beside him, listening for his heart and grimacing when she couldn't find it.

"Martha," Jay said, her head spinning. She could hear the _bu-bu-bu-bump_ of Yana's mind, the song escaping Jack, and the increasing volume of the TARDIS's own song. She felt ready to pass out with the sound of all of it. There was too much noise. Her heart was pounding, limbs tingling painfully-

Somewhere, she could hear the Doctor murmuring about something regarding radiation, along with Yana crying out that everything was all for nothing. "Doctor," she breathed, vision tunnelling. The beats in Yana's head suddenly became overpowering for a moment. _Bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump-_ They were drowned out by the song of the TARDIS a second later and Jay snapped back to sanity when it everything suddenly quieted, still there, but not nearly as bad.

"It strikes me, Professor," the Doctor said suddenly, studying Jack's body, "that you've got a room a man can't enter without dying. Is that correct?" Yana nodded. "Well…" He grinned, for the first time, at Jack. "I've got just the man."

The song from Jack stopped entirely as he snapped upright, gasping for breath.

"Thank God," Martha gasped at the sight of Jack coming to life. Jay probably should have been surprised, but she found that it wasn't quite as alarming as the first time it had happened, although it was still, admittedly impressive. Chantho and Yana both gawked at Jack.

Jack merely blinked once. "Was someone kissing me?"

* * *

In a matter of minutes, the Doctor and Jack were off to deal with the stet radiation while Martha and Jay were told to stay back with Yana and Chantho. Jay had protested, but a look had her mumbling that she'd stay where she was. They had work to do and now was not the time to become needy, she supposed.

Rubbing her temples to fight back a headache, Jay found she was annoyed with the constant sound escaping Yana and the TARDIS's song, which seemed to be abnormally loud - Jay rarely found that it was this loud, as it was often more of a soft sound in the back of her mind, calming but not bothersome or distracting. Peering over Martha's shoulder, she asked, "Anything?"

"We lost picture when that thing flared up." Martha tapped a key. "Doctor, are you there?"

 _"Receiving, yeah. Jack's inside."_

Martha was just as confused as Yana, who said with a puzzled expression, "But he should evaporate...what sort of man is he?"

"We've only just met him," Martha admitted, glancing at Yana. Jay frowned a little. Not a lie, but it didn't mean Jack wasn't turning out to be fun to have around. "The Doctor sort of travels through time and space, picking people up as we go - oh, God, I made us sound like stray dogs," she added to Jay. She paused. "Maybe we are though?"

"Maybe," Jay said, distracted by the fact that the thudding was beginning to become louder in Yana's head again.

"He travels in time?" Yana murmured, cocking his head a little.

"Don't ask me to explain it," Martha said, not at all bothered that she was the one doing all of the explaining. "That's a TARDIS. Sports car of time travel, he claims it is, but I think there are better ones and he just doesn't want to admit it.

 _"TARDIS,"_ whispered a voice in the air, eager and excited. " _TARDIS, TARDIS, TARDIS…"_

 _"When did you first realize?"_ the Doctor's voice suddenly asked, and Jay latched onto it, ignoring any further attempts of conversation between Martha and Yana, determined to latch onto whatever the Doctor was speaking with Jack about. Jack was in the room, working, and didn't hesitate to answer.

 _"Earth, eighteen-ninety-two. Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart and I woke up. I thought it was kind of strange. Then...well, it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World Wars, poison, strangulation, a stray javelin…."_ Jay winced at all of the methods of death Jack gave. He stated them methodically, not at all concerned about what he was discussing. _"In the end, I got the message: I'm the man who can never die. And you knew, all that time."_

 _"That's why I left you behind,"_ the Doctor said quietly. _"It's not easy even just looking at you, Jack, 'cause you're wrong."_ Jay stiffened. Was that what he'd do to her then? She knew Jovita had mentioned that she'd helped him save another planet, when he wore a different face - whatever that had meant - but was he going to someday leave her like he'd left Jack because of the poison in her veins? _"You are, I can't help it. I'm a Time Lord. It's instinct. You're a fixed point in time and space, a fact, that's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you and tried to shake you off. She flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you, Jack."_

Jay's jaw worked furiously as Jack replied, _"So what you're saying is that you're, uh,"_ he paused as he did something that Jay and the others couldn't see, _"prejudiced."_

 _"I never thought of it like that,"_ the Doctor mused.

 _"Last thing I remember back when I was mortal...I was facing three Daleks, death by extermination. And then I came back to life. What happened?"_

A single word - a name - reassured Jay that maybe, just maybe, she was wrong. That the Doctor wouldn't leave her as he'd left Jack. _"Rose."_ So she'd been strange, too. Something had happened. Jack accused him of lying, thinking that she'd been sent home. And the Doctor clarified. _"She came back. She opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex. No one's ever meant to have that power. If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god, a vengeful god. But...she was human. Everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life, but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose - the final act of the Time War was life."_

 _"Time War,"_ a voice in Yana's head whispered and Jay's head snapped around. She stared at the old professor, suddenly terrified of him. Something was wrong, so incredibly wrong, with Yana, and she didn't even know where to begin. She touched Martha's arm, but faltered at the look on her friend's face. Martha looked beyond miserable, having listened to the Doctor talk in such an affectionate voice about Rose Tyler. Jay felt a stab of sympathy. She knew Martha was in love with the crazy time traveller. But Jay could have told her the second he spoke of Rose for the first time in Jay's presence that there was no way in hell he was ready to move on now, if ever.

 _"Do you think she could change me back?"_ Jack suddenly asked.

 _"I took the power out of her. She's gone, Jack."_ Just that simple phrase, uttered with so much pain, confirmed what Jay had been thinking. _"She's not just living on a parallel world. She's trapped there. The walls have closed."_

 _"I went back to her estate, in the nineties,"_ Jack suddenly informed him. _"Watched her growing up, but I never said hello. Timelines."_ Eager to get away from the subject of Rose, the Doctor questioned if Jack wanted to die, which Jay grimaced at. Not a pleasant subject at all. _"I thought I did. But this lot….you see them out here, surviving, and that's fantastic."_

The Doctor chuckled at his wording. _"You may be out there somewhere."_

 _""I could go meet myself."_

 _"Well, I mean, that's the only person you're ever going to be happy with, so…"_

Jay giggled and winced at the stab in her arms, rubbing them. She glanced at Martha when Martha grumbled, "I never understand half the things he says." Jay blinked; the Doctor and Jack's conversation hadn't been _that_ hard to follow, had it? Martha spun around and then paused. "Professor, what's wrong?"

Chantho was immediately worried, locking onto the old professor with worried eyes. "Chan," she fretted, "Professor, what is it, tho?"

"Time travel," Yana said bitterly. "They say there was time travel back in the old days and I never believed it. But what would I know? I'm just a stupid old man." He shook his head. "Never could keep time...always late, always lost." _Bu-bu-bu-bump_ , went the beat in his head. "Even this thing never worked. He removed a watch from his waistcoat pocket and Jay and Martha recognized what it was on sight. It certainly helped that it began to whisper aloud to Jay, cruel, hateful things about Time Lords that made her flinch away from it. "Time and time and time again," he sighed. "Always running out on me."

"Can I have a look at that?" Martha breathed, not tearing her eyes from the watch.

"Oh, it's only an old relic," Yana chuckled, shaking his head. "Like me." Martha asked where he'd gotten it. "I was found with it, an orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned with only this: a broken pocket watch."

"Have you opened it?" Jay asked quietly. Something about Yana screamed dangerous, though she couldn't specify what made her feel like this. Even if he was a Time Lord, like the Doctor...the Doctor didn't give her this kind of feeling. Something was wrong, so wrong, with this man. Yana shook his head, confused. "How do you...how could you know it's broken if you never opened it?" The Face of Boh's words echoed in her ears.

 _But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone._

"Does it matter?" Yana demanded.

"Not particularly," Jay lied, grabbing Martha's hand and rising to her feet. "Excuse us, Professor, Martha and I are going to see if the Doctor needs help, since everything's fine up here and all." Martha opened her mouth to protest, but Jay tightened her grip until her nails pierced Martha's hand and it bled. Without waiting for a response, Jay tore off with Martha dragged behind her, walking at a brisk pace. Cruel, hateful words followed her for some time, as did the _bu-bu-bu-bump_ and the song of the TARDIS, sending her head spinning once more.

She stumbled once, but Martha caught her with a frown. "Jay?"

"I'm fine," Jay retorted and pushed on.

* * *

"Yes!" Jack cheered, grinning as he finished, proud of himself.

"Now get out of there!" the Doctor demanded, somewhat relieved that Jack was all right, although he wasn't going to say so out loud. The Doctor turned to a panel, speaking into it as Jack emerged, brushing himself off. "Lieutenant, is everyone on board?"

 _"Ready and waiting,"_ Atillo reported.

"Stand by! Two minutes to ignition," the Doctor informed him with a grin. He turned back to a screen that held a variety of information about what was going on. It looked similar to what he'd been looking at in Yana's lab. As Atillo began counting down to signal the launch, Jack leaned over his shoulder to peer at them, frowning. He looked up, however, as did the Doctor briefly, when Jay and Martha darted in. "Nearly there," the Doctor informed them, cheerfully. "The footprint is a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It's going to take Jack and I to keep it stable."

"Doctor!" Jay gasped, doubling over. Pain was racing through her, but she was confident she'd not have anything particularly bad for the time being. "Doctor, the professor-"

Martha, wheezing for air as well, cut in. "It's the professor," she informed him breathlessly. "He's...he's got this watch. Same as yours, same writing on it. Gallifreyan, or whatever. Same...everything."

The Doctor faltered in what he was doing. "Don't be ridiculous," he said sharply, not enjoying the fact that they'd mess around with something so important.

"I asked him. He said he's had it all his life," Martha insisted, her eyes wide. "It's the chameleon thing, Doctor, please, believe us."

Jack looked puzzled about how a watch would be so important, and asked the Doctor why they were all so worried about a watch. Flustered, the Doctor fussed with the screen, his jaw working furiously. "This watch...it's a device that rewrites biology, changes a Time Lord into a human. And it can't be," he told the two women. An alarm went off and he hurried to try and fix it. "Jack, keep it level!" he snapped.

As Jack did, he said quite bluntly, "That means he could be a Time Lord, Doctor. You might not be the last one. That's good, right?"

"Yes!" the Doctor exploded, furious. "Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they _died_. The Time Lords all _died_. All of them! Dead!" He glared over his shoulder with such a nasty look that Martha fell quiet. Jay, however, took over, her gaze even as it held his.

"There's a perception filter, but I heard it. I heard the watch, and the sound he hears in his head, Doctor. The Face of Boh told you that you weren't alone and I believe Yana is a Time Lord. That watch...the things it whispered. It scares me. _He_ scares me. I truly think he's a Time Lord, but I'm worried about who he is inside," she said fiercely, speaking quickly.

The Doctor launched the rocket, saying nothing. The silo trembled around them as the rocket took off for the skies. Quietly, the Doctor spoke into the intercom. "Lieutenant, have you achieved velocity?" His mind was racing. Excitement and concern about what Jay had said filled him as he nearly snarled, "Have you done it?!"

 _"Affirmative,"_ Atillo replied excitedly. _"We'll see you in Utopia."_

"Good luck," the Doctor told him. And then he was striding out of the control room at such a brisk pace that even Jack had to jog to keep up. "I'll speak with the professor," he told them all, his hearts pounding in his chest. He didn't know if he wanted it to be true with what Jay had said. But he did. By the stars he traveled to, he wanted it to be true. The possibility that he'd not killed them all…

They hit the main door in time to hear it lock. All four stopped in surprise to stare at the door. "Doctor?" Martha asked as he tested it. A frown appeared on his face. He tried again and then retrieved his sonic screwdriver while Jack tapped away at the keypad that should have opened it.

"Get it open," the Doctor said, voice rising. "Get it open!"

Between the pair of them, they were able to get the door open. The Doctor threw it open and they took off at a run, but stumbled to a halt when they found themselves faced with grinning Futurekind, their sharpened teeth glinting in the dim light of the silo. "Run!" the Doctor ordered and they spun around, racing back the way they'd come. They meandered the twisting paths and Jack recognized where they were after a few, ordering them to follow him. They nearly slammed into the door that led to the lab.

Jay was shuddering, rubbing her chest violently. The attack was coming; she could feel it. Not now, but if she didn't calm down soon-

"Professor!" the Doctor bellowed, pounding on the window of the door while simultaneously peering through it. Jack worked furiously to get them into the lab. "Professor, let me in!" He whirled on Jack desperately. "Professor, are you there! I need to explain! Whatever you do, don't open that watch! Jack, get the door open!"

"I'm trying," Jack barked, frustrated.

Jay pressed her back against the wall as she realized she could hear the footsteps of Futurekind coming for them. Martha caught sight when they rounded the corner and grabbed Jack's arm. "They're coming!"

"Watch out," Jack warned suddenly, ripping out the gun he carried. He slammed the butt of it into the keypad and the door finally unlocked. The Doctor rushed inside. Jay ducked in after him and Martha raced over to Chantho's side when she saw the alien woman on the ground. Jack remained behind to ensure that the door was locked again.

The Doctor found Yana standing before the open doors of the TARDIS, staring into it with a delighted look, but Yana spun around when he heard them enter. Yana grinned, stepping back inside and closing the TARDIS doors. The TARDIS's song grew loud in Jay's ears and she winced as he locked the doors. The ship disapproved of the professor's actions.

The Doctor swore, trying the key in the door. The TARDIS didn't open her doors and the Doctor reached for his sonic screwdriver, desperately trying to get in. "Let me in!" he shouted, slamming a fist on the doors when it didn't work.

"Martha?" Jay breathed when her friend groaned, standing.

"She's dead," Martha said, looking miserably at Chantho.

"I've broken the lock!" Jack gasped from the door, back shoved against it. "Give me a hand. They're trying to get in." Jay and Martha hurried over, pressing their backs to the door. Something hit the other side violently.

"I'm begging you! Everything's changed!" the Doctor cried, voice raised in panic and desperation. He _had_ to get through to the Time Lord inside the TARDIS. "It's only the two of us, we're the only ones left! Just let me _in_!" His head cranked back when he heard a scream and horror filled him when he saw light radiating through the small window panes on the TARDIS. He distantly heard Jack demanding that the Doctor help them, especially as there was another shove at the door, which wasn't fully closing.

A voice filled the air, echoing out from the TARDIS. _"Doctor - ooh, new voice. Hello, hello, hello!"_ There was a laugh. _"Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans so you can work out a way to stop me? I don't think so!"_

Martha froze, her head snapping up. "I know that voice," she gasped, earning shocked looks from Jack and Jay.

"I'm asking you really properly," the Doctor pleaded, his hearts sinking in his chest like stones. He knew. Instinctively, he knew who was in his TARDIS, and it killed him to think of the title the Time Lord went by. "Just stop. Just think."

 _"Use my name."_

"Master," the Doctor groaned, sorrowful. "I'm sorry." His fingers tightened around his sonic screwdriver, determination running through him as he lifted it.

 _"Tough!"_ the Master cried within the TARDIS, laughing. The Doctor pressed his finger over the button and the sonic screwdriver buzzed to life. There was a brief moment in which nothing happened and then the Master shouted, _"Oh, no you don't! End of the universe, Doctor. Have fun...bye, bye!"_

The door jolted again, but they could all only watch as the TARDIS vanished before their very eyes, the familiar grating sound - and the song in Jay's ears - disappearing along with it.

* * *

 _Jack, the Master, and a whole bunch of problems. I had a ton of fun writing this chapter. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (_ _bored411, Catlorde, and PrincessMagic!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I appreciate you all!_


	13. The Sound of Drums

It only took the Doctor a few seconds to get over the shock of the Master disappearing with his TARDIS. Whirling around, he lunged for Jack, who yelped as he grabbed his wrist and forced it within reach. As his three companions worked to keep the Futurekind from capturing them, the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the vortex manipulator, barking, "Hold still. Don't move!"

"It's broken!" Jack shouted back, furious. "It hasn't worked for years!"

"That's because you didn't have me," the Doctor retorted. He shoved his sonic screwdriver back into his pocket, reaching behind him. "Martha!" he ordered, taking Jay's hand gently and planting it atop the manipulator with his own. "You, too!"

The moment Martha's hand touched the vortex manipulator, the Doctor stabbed a button with his finger and they were spinning through time and space. Between one moment and the next, they were deposited on the ground in an alleyway, all four sent sprawling. The Doctor, Martha, and Jack all grimaced, Martha gagging as she realized she suddenly felt ill.

"The moral is," Jack gasped in triumph, "if you're gonna get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex - Jay?!" He crawled on his hands and knees to the nearby woman, who was shuddering, tears rolling down her face as she clawed at her chest until she drew blood through the T-shirt she wore. "Doctor-"

Martha and the Doctor both hurried over. Martha settled her body beside Jay's, holding her friend's hand after prying it from her chest. She ignored the blood flecking her fingers. Jay's eyes rolled blindly when the Doctor touched her cheek lightly and murmured in a soothing voice, "Hold on, Jay. Should be over soon."

"What's going on?" Jack demanded. "What's wrong with her?"

"It's a long story," Martha said shakily, watching as the Doctor sat back, "but the short version is that she has some kind of poison. It does this every now and then. She thought it was circulatory, and with the amount of running we did - it must have pumped it through her system quickly this time."

It was only a few more seconds before Jay gasped, gulping down air. A ragged sound of terror left her mouth, followed by a hoarse sob. Martha murmured soothingly as she slowly came back to herself. Eventually, she was simply lying there, exhausted. She put a hand over her face, drawing it down slowly as she composed herself, wanting - no, needing a nap. A long one.

"Alright there, Jaybird?" Jack teased gently as Martha checked Jay's pulse, unhappy that she couldn't do much else.

"No," she grumbled as she sat up slowly. She wavered, meeting his gaze weakly. "When and where are we?"

"Earth," the Doctor said, peering at a series of posters that had been plastered on the walls surrounding them. _Vote Saxon,_ they all read. "Twenty-first century - your time, Martha. And he's here," he added before Jack could voice his worry. "Trust me."

"Who is he?" Martha demanded, folding her arms. "That voice at the end...that wasn't the professor. It was different."

"If the Master's a Time Lord," Jack said slowly, "he must have regenerated." Martha and Jay eyed him in confusion, Jay blinking sleepily. "It means he changed his face, voice, body, everything. Same mind, new man."

 _Bu-bu-bu-bump._

Jay's head snapped around, fear spiking through her at the sight of the homeless man tapping away on a mug as Martha asked, "Then how are we gonna find him?" The Doctor gave off an answer that Jay didn't hear, and Martha suddenly paused. "If he could be anyone...we missed the election! It can't be-"

 _Bu-bu-bu-bump_.

She barely took notice of Jack helping her to her feet and throwing her arm over his shoulder, his arm around her waist to half-carry her when the three decided to emerge from the alley and figure out what was going on. She stared at the homeless man over her shoulder before shaking her head and focusing entirely in time to see a newsman appear on a TV in a window display they were staring at. _"Mr. Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters,"_ the newscaster reported cheerfully.

The Doctor stared silently at the face that appeared on the screen. A man, appearing not much older than any of them, was making his way down a flight of stairs with a woman tucked against his side, an entourage of people following him.

"I said I knew that voice," Martha said, dazed. Her dark eyes were full of horror. "When he spoke inside the TARDIS...I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"That's him," the Doctor agreed grimly. "He's Prime Minister. The Master is the Prime Minister of Great Britain" The Master - Harold Saxon - suddenly leaned in and kissed the woman beside him, beaming at her. The Doctor wrinkled his nose a little. "The Master and his _wife_."

On the screen, the Master was shown stepping up to a series of microphones, leaving his wife a few steps behind. He smiled broadly at the cameras, looking proud as he spoke. _"This country has been sick. This country needs healing...medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that, what this country really needs right now…"_ That smile became a smirk as he directed his gaze straight into a camera. _"...is a doctor."_

The Doctor clenched his jaw furiously, not at all pleased with the apparent challenge. He didn't even know where to begin at this point. The Master had his TARDIS, which meant they had no place of safety. Jay looked as if she was going to pass out at any moment, the Master probably knew they were there all ready - scratch that, he _had_ to know. He'd feel it as the Doctor felt him.

After a long tense discussion that Jay wasn't entirely conscious for, it was agreed that they'd go to Martha's flat. They took the shortest way possible to the flat, and Jay was nearly being carried by Jack by the time they got to it. "Home," Martha mused as she let them in. The Doctor immediately bustled in, searching for a computer. Martha rolled her eyes and helped Jack gently put Jay on her couch. The tired woman immediately closed her eyes.

Jack, ensuring she was okay for the time being, lifted his phone to his ear and turned away, listening to a dial tone. A moment later, he shook his head and put it down, scowling as the Doctor said sharply, "Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here!"

"Some friends of mine, but there's no answer," Jack said grouchily, watching as Martha handed the Doctor a laptop and putting her phone in his pocket. Feeling grumpy towards the Time Lord, Jack reached out and plucked the computer right out of his hands. "I can show you the Saxon websites. He's been around for ages." He dropped into the chair at Martha's desk, prying the machine open.

"That's so weird though," Martha sighed, hunching her shoulders to show her discomfort. "It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you," she added to the Doctor, scarcely able to believe that shed experienced so many good and bad things within a mere four days.

"We went flying all around the universe," the Doctor murmured somewhat bitterly, "while he was here the whole time. Another Time Lord. And I didn't even notice."

"Are you gonna tell us who he is?" Martha was prying for information now, Jay thought, listening as best as she could while resting at the same time. "What about all of it? I mean, who'd call himself the Master?"

The Doctor's voice was hard when he said, "That's all you need to know. Jack, show me Harold Saxon, would you?"

Silence fell as Jack tapped away on the laptop after taking a seat at the desk. Martha and the Doctor peered over his shoulder as he worked, though the Doctor stopped him from playing a commercial for a moment to retreat and check on Jay. She'd fallen asleep on the couch, her breathing deep and even, the newly formed shadows beneath her eyes dark and bruised in appearance. Frowning, the Doctor returned to the computer. "Go ahead."

They watched the commercial quietly, listening to people compliment Harold Saxon in every possible way. From being handsome, to what the people needed, and several people stated confidently that they'd be voting for Saxon in the elections. Each statement made the Doctor clench his jaw, not at all happy. This wasn't going to be good. None of it.

"Former Minister of Defense," Jack reported, leaning back in his chair. "First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve." He smirked at the Doctor. "Nice work, by the way."

The Doctor rubbed his hands over his face, frustrated. "Oh, thanks," he said sarcastically.

"He goes back years - he's famous," Martha said, running a hand through her hair as she studied the pased video. It showed an image of Saxon's smiling face. "Everyone knows his story. Look." She leaned in over Jack's shoulder and typed into the search bar a few things, pulling one after the other up on separate tabs. "Cambridge University, Rugby blue, won the Athletics thing, wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He might be a Time Lord, but he's got a whole life as a human. In any case, we can hang out here for a while, let Jay get some sleep."

The Doctor took over the computer when Jack climbed to his feet, eager to find something good to eat. Martha pointed him to her fridge before going to sit herself beside Jay's head, checking her pulse. Jack began shuffling around in it, deciding that tea would be the first best thing to make. As he prepared it, he called, "He's got a TARDIS, doesn't he? Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living here for decades." The Doctor rejected the idea almost immediately. "Why not? Worked for me."

"When he was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates," the Doctor said, touching the sonic screwdriver stored inside his suit jacket. "I locked them permanently. He can only travel between the year one-hundred-trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed, which is right here, right now."

"Any leeway?"

"Eighteen months, tops. The most he could have been here is eighteen months, so how has he managed all of this?" The Doctor waved at the screen in frustration. "The Master was always sort of hypnotic, but this...on such a massive scale…"

"I was gonna vote for him," Martha told the Doctor. He looked surprised. "Well, it was before I even met you, and I liked him." Jack shouted from the kitchen that he'd felt the same, and the Doctor furrowed his brow in thought.

"Why do you say that?" he asked Martha patiently. "What was his policy? What did he stand for?" Martha wasn't at fault, and he knew it, even if it was somewhat frustrating that she and even Jack had fallen for Saxon's - no, the Master's - charms.

"I dunno," Martha said, lost in thought. "He always sounded...good. Like you could trust him. Just nice. He spoke about...well, I can't really remember, but it was good. Just the sound of his voice." Her fingers started tapping a strange rhythm, but the second they did, Jay was shooting upright, her eyes wild with shock.

"Jay?" the Doctor said, distracted from the tapping. Martha had nearly fallen off the couch in her surprise. Jack peeked his head out to check on everything before going back to preparing tea.

But Jay was staring at Martha, the _bu-bu-bu-bump_ racing through her mind as she stared at the other woman. "Stop," she breathed. "That tapping you're doing. Why are you doing it? _Stop_. It's...it's not good. I heard it in his mind," she added to the Doctor when he narrowed his eyes in thought. "The prof - I mean, the Master's. I could hear it. Just this constant, constant thudding, and-"

She was interrupted when the website still up on the laptop screen launched to life on it's own. The Doctor immediately forgot about what Jay was saying - for the time being, as he locked the information away for later to think about - and turned back to the computer screen. Martha climbed to her feet, joining him and helping Jay over when the Doctor said, "Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom." Jack even ditched his tea-making to come and watch.

The video that had appeared showed the Master standing before a beautifully ornate fireplace, his face pleasant and a smile on his mouth. He stared directly into the camera, fearless. _"Britain, Britain, Britain,"_ he crooned. _"What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small...and then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies."_ Images raced over the screen. Big Ben, destroyed by a spaceship that smashed into it, ghosts of creatures the Doctor knew to be Cybermen, a massive Christmas star in the sky destroying the city of London.

 _"You've seen it happen. Big Ben destroyed, a spaceship over London, all those ghosts and metal men, the Christmas star that came to kill...time and time again, the government told you_ nothing _. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this,: citizens of Great Britain, I have been contacted. A message, for humanity, from beyond the stars."_ The Master nodded to someone who wasn't sown on the screen and the video changed from him to an odd metal sphere that must have been larger than it looked.

 _"People of the Earth,"_ the sphere said in a soft, yet excited feminine voice. _"We come in peace. We bring great gifts of technology and wisdom and protection. All we ask in return is your friendship."_

 _"Oh, how sweet,"_ the Master crooned, reappearing on the screen. _"And this species has identified itself. They're called the Toclafane. And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman, and child. Every teacher, and chemist, and lorry driver, and farmer...and every, oh, I don't know…"_ A surprisingly malicious grin appeared, if only for a moment. _"Medical student?"_

" _OUT!_ " the Doctor immediately ordered, hearts lurching into a racing panic. He didn't know what was going to happen, but something was. He grabbed the laptop, slamming it shut and ushered everyone out. Jay stumbled, but Jack grabbed her shoulders, helping her along. They'd just barely ran out the door when there was a large blast and the window to Martha's flat exploded, sprinkling them with broken glass. Jay and Martha winced, both of them cut. The Doctor carefully used one hand to remove any shards from his hair. "All right?" he asked, checking over all of them.

"Fine," Jack gasped. His blue eyes were wide with alarm, an arm around Jay's waist. "You good, Jaybird?"

"No," Jay gasped, her breath hitched in agony. An aftershock raced through her, locking her muscles She felt grateful when it passed a few seconds later, not remaining for much longer and nowhere near as bad as it had been earlier. "Okay," she wheezed afterwards, nearly slurring her words. "Okay, now I am."

"Martha?" the Doctor checked, looking to her. A frown appeared on his face when he found her on her phone. "What are you doing?"

"He knows about me," Martha breathed, nearly hysterical. "What about my family?"

"Don't tell them anything!" the Doctor snapped, horrified. "Martha!"

Martha shouted at him angrily, "I'll do what I like!" When someone on the other end picked up, she gasped, "Mum? Oh, my God, you're there!" She paused. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Mum, has there been anyone asking about me?" She scowled. "I can't. Not now. Don't be so _daft_ , since when? You said you'd never…" She suddenly became suspicious. "You said you'd never get back with him in a million years."

"Martha?" Jay said gently. "What's wrong?"

Martha shook her head, holding up a finger. _One moment,_ she told them with that gesture. "Dad? What are you doing there?" Her gaze darkened a moment later. "Dad? Just say yes or no now, okay? Is there someone else there?"

There was a pause, and then Martha nearly dropped her phone, tears gathering in her eyes. "Dad! Dad? What's going on? _Dad_!" She hung up, darting for a car parked alongside the street outside her flat. "I gotta help them!" she shrieked, nearly sobbing as she launched herself forward.

The Doctor lunged after the young woman, grabbing her wrist to stop her. "That's what they want!" he insisted, his dark eyes ablaze with a mixture of anger and worry for his friend. "It's a trap."

"I don't care," she replied, searching his gaze. Her voice cracked. "They're my family."

The Doctor pressed his lips together and let her go. He scrambled into the passenger seat, shouting, "Jack, Jay!" They rushed into the back of the car as Martha climbed in herself, strapped her seat belt on, and slammed her foot over the gas pedal after starting the car.

The ride was terrifying. Martha drove like a maniac, as fast as she could without killing them. The Doctor held on tightly with white knuckles to the handle in the door, his eyes wide with alarm. Jack and Jay were both gripping the seats in front of them. "Corner!" Jack suddenly shouted and Martha hit the brakes as she took the corner nearly on two wheels.

As she drove, Martha desperately tried for Tish's number, putting the phone on speaker and shoving it at the Doctor so she could drive. "C'mon, Tish," she said, her face pale. "Pick up-"

 _"Martha,"_ Tish greeted a moment later, and all of them perked up, hopeful. _"I can't talk right now. We just made first contact! Did you see - hey! What are you doing?!"_ Her voice became muffled. _"Get off. Get off of me!"_

"Tish!" Martha groaned when the phone call was ended by someone on the other line. She threw a nasty look at the Doctor, who was silent, looking horrified. "It's your fault!" she spat cruelly at the Time Lord. "It's all your fault!"

"Martha…" Jay murmured, voice lost among the sound of honking cars and squealing tires.

The car rounded a final corner and Martha hit the breaks. They all slammed forward and stared in shocked surprise at the sight before them. Jay supposed it was likely the home of one of Martha's parents, but there were two people - a man and a woman, who were being forced into the back of a massive black vehicle. Jay recognized the woman immediately. Francine looked at the car in horror and then screamed, "Martha, get out of here! Get out!"

The policemen and women surrounding the two lifted their guns, aiming at the car. "Martha," the Doctor said, eyes widening. "Reverse. _Reverse_!" His voice lifted to a cry when they cocked their guns. Martha rushed to do just as he'd said, and slammed her foot back on the gas when she'd completed the turn.

"Get your heads down!" Jack shouted, ducking his own when they opened fire. Jay slammed her head downwards, covering it with her hands when the rear window was shattered by bullets. A cry of fear escaped her, even as her hands stung from shattered glass. When they'd been driving for a short while, Jack said firmly, aware that Martha was staring angrily ahead, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Now, Martha, listen to me. Do as I say. We've gotta ditch this car. Pull over, now."

Despite her anger, Martha recognized that she needed to do as she was told. After pulling over on a city street, she dialed her brother's number. Jay heard her exclaim his name in relief, sobbing it aloud as she let Jack help her out of the car. She noted that his hands were as cut up as his. An aftershock, less enough to not cause too many problems, ran through her, and she sighed softly in relief when it was gone.

"Alright?" the Doctor asked she and Jack, checking in even as he tucked the laptop beneath his arm. He called Martha's name, telling her they needed to go, but she gave him a gesture that normally would have offended him in a petty way.

"Yeah," Jack replied. Jay nodded silently, running a hand through her short hair and letting out a gust of air.

This wasn't good at all, she thought, and then jumped when Martha suddenly snarled in a voice she'd never heard come from the other woman, "Let them go, Saxon." The Doctor snapped around like he'd been struck, immediately striding over. "Do you hear me?! Let them go!"

The Doctor plucked the phone from her hand, immediately serious with a darkened expression. "I'm here." A pause. "Master." He paused again as the Master spoke, and then smiled bitterly. "You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day. So...Prime Minister. Who are those creatures? 'Cause there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made-up name, like the Bogeyman."

Jay joined Martha, taking her hand and squeezing it. Both tensed when the Doctor's expression suddenly darkened, jumping when Jack put his hands on their shoulders. "Gone," the Doctor said shortly. "it burnt. Dead. And the Daleks...more or less. What happened to you?" It didn't take a brilliant genius, Jay supposed, to know what he was talking about. "I know. I was the only one who could end it." Misery crossed the Doctor's features. "I tried. I did, I tried everything."

The conversation continued like this for a short while longer, the trio listening to the Doctor deal with the Master's taunting.

 _Bu-bu-bu-bump._

Jay snapped around, ripping free of Jack and Martha to stare at a man that was leaning against a nearby building just before he began tapping his hands against his legs in rhythm to the beat. She looked terrified at the sound. The Doctor looked, too, and his gaze darkened furiously. "What have you done?" he snapped into the phone. "Tell me how you've done this. What are those creatures? Tell me!" He quickly grew angrier. "Stop it! _Answer me!_ "

Whatever the Master said drained the blood from his face. He whirled around and Jack followed his gaze and sputtered at the sight of a TV in a display window, much like the one they'd watched from earlier in the day. _"They are known to be armed and extremely dangerous,"_ the newscaster said grimly, referring to the image of the four of them on the screen.

"Oh, no," Jay breathed, biting her lip.

"He can see us," the Doctor said, spinning in a slow circle until he found the camera. He kept the phone to his ear as he shut it off with his sonic screwdriver. "He's got control of everything."

"What do we do then?" Martha said shakily. "We've nowhere to go!"

The Doctor hung up the phone. He tossed it back to Martha and said grimly, "We run."

Jay didn't know why she'd thought otherwise and took off after him when he bolted.

* * *

Jay was silent, watching those with her uselessly while they waited on Martha to come back from grabbing food for them all. She'd been napping on and off, waiting for the last of her aftershocks to fade, and was growing tired of simply waiting around. Sitting on the hard cement floor of a warehouse beside her, Jack played around with the vortex manipulator and across from them, the Doctor tapped away at Martha's laptop.

When footsteps filled their ears, they all tensed, but it only turned out to be Martha returning. She held a grocery bag of takeout in her hand and Jack glanced up with a concerned look. "I don't think anyone saw me," she reassured, setting the bag down and starting to hand out food. "Anything new?"

Jack nodded curtly, "I've got this turned into the government wavelength so we can follow what Saxon's doing," he began, but Martha cut him off angrily.

"I meant about my family."

"It still says," the Doctor said quietly, not looking away from the screen, "the Jones family was taken in for questioning. Tell you what though, no mention of Leo."

Martha looked proud as well as miserable. "He's not as daft as he looks. I'm talking about my brother on the run," she said suddenly, laughing bitterly. "How did this happen?" She sat beside Jay and Jack. The Doctor came and joined them a moment later, Jay watched him closely, taking in the look on his face. He was exhausted in a way that didn't show on his face often.

"Doctor, who is he?" she asked gently. "The Master, I mean. How did a Time Lord become a man who acts as he does? Everything you've told us of Gallifrey...it sounded beautiful. Perfect."

"It was beautiful, perfect to look at. They called it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. On the Continent of Wild Endeavor, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords, the oldest and most might race in the universe." The Doctor met her gaze and then looked away, sighing heavily. "The Time Lords looked down on the galaxies below, sworn never to interfere - only to watch. Children of Gallifrey were taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy, and some say that's when it all began. He was a friend, once. The Master. When he was a child...that's when he saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. It's a gap of reality through which you could see the whole of the vortex - a little like Rose did," he added to Jack. "You stand there at eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space. Just a child. Some would be inspired. Some would run way." His lips twitched at that. "And some would go mad. I, of course, ran away and never stopped."

Martha took a bite of food, nodding to herself, and then looked over when Jack's vortex manipulator beeped. Jay jumped, worried, but Jack beamed. "Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognize it. Can I patch it through to the laptop?"

"Go ahead," the Doctor said, grabbing another piece of food to munch on.

The Jack grabbed the laptop and brought it over. Settling down so the others could look over his shoulder, Jack smiled sheepishly. "Since we're telling stories, there's...uh, well, there's something I haven't told you." He'd barely finished speaking before a logo Jay or Martha didn't recognize appeared on the screen.

The Doctor, however, turned ice cold. "You work for...everything Torchwood did, and you're a part of it?" he snapped, furiously glowering at Jack.

Jack was immediately defensive. "I swear to you, it's different. Changed. Only half a dozen of us. The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf. I rebuilt it and changed and when I did that, I did it for you. In your honor. We don't go around slaughtering aliens who don't deserve it."

The Doctor only glared and then watched as Jack opened the file.

A woman appeared on the screen, looking serious. _"This is Vivien Rook. if I haven't returned to my desk by ten o'clock in the evening, this file will be e-mailed to Torchwood. Which means, if you're watching this, I'm…"_ Vivien trailed off, looking a little bothered by the idea. _"Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became the one in charge of launching the Archangel Network."_

"Martha, Jack," Jay asked, leaning forward as an image of the Earth with satellites surrounding it appeared. "What is that? The Archangel Network?"

"I've got Archangel," Martha said, shrugging. She pulled her phone out, offering it when the Doctor held his hand out. "Everyone's got it."

"It's the mobile phone network," Jack agreed, and then huffed when Jay took the laptop from him, studying the screen closely.

"It's gone worldwide," she said, studying the image closely. "There are fifteen satellites in orbit. Look, even the other networks...they're all carried by Archangel." She wasn't entirely sure how these networks worked, but they seemed close enough to things she'd seen in her time. The Doctor glanced at her, and then took out his sonic screwdriver, using it to scan the phone.

"It's in the phones…" the Doctor murmured, and then suddenly brightened. "Oh, I said he was a hypnotist! Wait, wait, wait, hold on." He slammed his palm against the phone. _Bu-bu-bu-bump_ began to fill the air in a beeping sound, and Jay hunched her shoulders, hating it now. "There it is. That rhythm, it's everywhere. Ticking away in the subconscious."

"Mind control?" Martha guessed, looking worried that she'd be under the Master's control.

"No, no, no," the Doctor reassured, smiling at her. "Subtler than that. Any stronger and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm in layers of code…'Vote Saxon. Believe in me.' Whispering to the world." He became annoyed. "That's how he hid himself from me. I should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth - should have known way back, but the signal cancelled him out."

"Is there any way to stop it?" Jay asked quietly.

The Doctor shook his head, but fired off immediately after, "Not from down here, but now we know how he's doing it."

"And we can fight back," Martha stated, looking relieved with the idea.

Jack, Martha, and Jay all watched as the Doctor went to work taking apart the technological devices at hand. "Jack," he said after he'd set everything up, "do you still have a TARDIS key?"

"Of course." Jack dug around in his pockets for a few moments before producing it. Jay peered curiously at the key. It was the same exact key that resided on a chain around her neck, but from a completely different era of the Doctor's life. The Doctor took Martha's, and then hers, and Jay peered curiously at what he was doing as he connected them to the circuitry he'd messed with. He even produced his own key to do the same with.

"Okay," he said, tying string to Jack's and Martha's after handing Jay's back over. Jay studied her key curiously to see if anything was new as he put string on his own as well. "Four TARDIS keys, four pieces of the TARDIS with low-level perception properties because the TARDIS is designed to blend in. Well...sort of, but…" The Doctor waved it off without much concern. "Now! The Archangel Network's go a second low-level signal. Weld the key to the network and...Martha!" She jolted as he climbed to his feet, moving a short distance away. "Look at me! You can see me, yes?"

"Yes," Martha confirmed suspiciously, curious.

"What about now?" The Doctor grinned and slid the string over his neck. The second it resided there, Martha's eyes slid to the side and she furrowed her brow in confusion. Jack chuckled beside her, amused. "No," the Doctor confirmed, "over here, I'm right here. Look at me."

Jay giggled at her own struggles as Martha said, curious, "It's like...I know you're there, but I don't _want_ to know."

"And back again!" the Doctor said happily as he removed the key. "Just shifts your perception a tiny little bit. Doesn't make us invisible...just unnoticed. Oh, I know what it's like!" he suddenly added, spinning around on his heel. "It's like when you fancy someone and they don't even know you exist! Now c'mon!"

Jay immediately glanced over at Martha, who she found was looking at Jack. Jack gave Martha a sympathetic look that made Jay sigh a little. "You, too, huh?" Jack said, somewhat amused. Martha flushed and hurried after the Doctor. "Come on, Jaybird," Jack said cheerfully, nudging Jay forward. "Let's go."

"Don't run," the Doctor told them when they'd caught up, his voice low. He'd stopped at the entrance of an alley, his eyes studying the somewhat busy street before them. "Don't shout. Just keep your voice down. Draw attention to yourself and the spell is broken. Just keep to the shadows."

"Sounds easy enough," Jay murmured to herself, nodding slowly. She fingered the key after putting it around her neck. She didn't feel any different, but she knew it was working when Martha's gaze skimmed right past her.

"Ready?" Jack said, and they all nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

It took a little bit of time to track down the Master, although the Doctor was fairly quick in the general scheme of things. Confusion was clear in everyone as they found themselves on the tarmac of a landing strip, eyeing security men as they simply walked right past them.

The keys were quite useful with those perception filters on them, Jay thought, touching it again.

She heard the sounds before she heard his voice. _Bu-bu-bu-bump_ filled her head, echoing over and over as they rounded a vehicle and then stepped into the shadows as a man Jay didn't recognize spoke. He stood before the Master without fear or concern, only anger as he said sharply in a clear American accent, "Mr. Saxon, the British Army will stand down. From now on, UNIT has control of this operation." Jay eyed him for a few moments, studying him. He was tall and middle-aged, with gray speckling a black beard. He was accompanied by men who were clearly there to protect him.

Jay snorted softly to herself, earning a warning look from the Doctor. Didn't matter what kind of protection that man brought; she had no doubt that the Master would win.

""You make it sound like an invasion, President Winters," the Master retorted, looking amused with his own words. He even grinned at himself.

"First contact policy was decided by the Security Council in nineteen-sixty-eight," said the current president of the United States, fierce in his tone. "And you've just gone and _ignored_ it!"

"Well, you know what it's like." The Master looked the least bit concerned, waving him off with a pout. "New job, all that paperwork. I think it's down the back of the settee...I did have a quick look. I found a pen, a sweet, a bust ticket...oh! Have you met the wife? Lucy Saxon."

Jay eyed the blonde woman that smiled warmly at Winters, tucking her arm into the Master's after stepping forward. She held a look of love on her face when she looked at the Master, although he didn't seem to feel the same towards her. Jay could almost feel the iciness that prevented such love. It made her shiver. How could someone love someone else when that someone else clearly would never love anyone?

"Mr. Saxon," Winters exploded. "I'm not sure what your game is, but there are provisions at the United Nations to have you removed from office unless you are very, very careful. Is that understood?"

Leaning into Martha as they watched the Master mime zipping up his lips, Jay breathed into her friend's ear, "He's absolutely insane." Martha nodded her agreement, her eyes flickering nervously as Winters continued about a matter of things regarding the Toclafane and priorities, policies and a rendezvous that would be planned with the Toclafane themselves.

"So let me get this straight," the Master said with a thoughtful expression, not at all concerned. "America is completely in charge?"

"Since Britain elected an ass, yes," Winters replied angrily, not at all impressed with the man before him. "I'll see you on board the _Valiant_." He turned to leave, but the Master stopped him with a call of, "Oh, and President!" Winters glared over his shoulder at the Master. "It will still be televised though, won't it? Because...you know, I promised, and the whole wide world will be watching."

"Since it's too late to pull out," he spat back at the Master, "the world will be watching. _Me._ " And then he was storming for a car, his servicemen following suit.

The Master watched him leave and then turned to Lucy Saxon, his gaze sparkling as he spoke to her about something the four time-travelers couldn't hear. "I can't hear him," Jack complained quietly.

"Neither can we, so shush," the Doctor said softly with a sharp tone. Alarm filled his gaze when a van owned by the police suddenly rolled onto the tarmac from nearby, catching the Master's attention. The Master lit up, bouncing on the balls of his feet as they all watched Martha's mother, father, and sister be dragged out of it, their faces filled with terror.

"Oh, my God," Martha whispered, body tensing as she prepared to launch herself towards them. Jay grabbed her wrist gently, whispering reassuringly to her. The Doctor said nothing as Martha hissed, "I'm gonna kill him!"

"Say I use this perception filter to walk up behind him and break his neck?" Jack said darkly as they watched the Jones family be transferred into another vehicle, their faces all filled with fear and misery. Martha was shaking with rage. The Doctor commented that Jack's question sounded like Torchwood, and Jack said fiercely as he began to fuss with his vortex manipulator, "Still a good plan."

"He's a Time Lord," the Doctor said firmly, "which makes him my responsibility. I'm not here to kill him, I'm here to save him." There was a look on his face that told them he was worried the saving bit would be near impossible. Martha looked at him in disappointed disapproval, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her look bordered on disgust, even.

Jack listed off the location of the _Valiant,_ an aircraft carrier, as it turned out, and Martha immediately wanted to know how to get on board. Jay remained silent throughout the entire conversation until the Doctor asked without looking at Jack, "Does that thing work as a teleport?"

"I really don't think we should go there," Jay said, shifting back and forth on the balls of her feet as she bit her lip, looking between them. "Something doesn't feel right."

"Come on," Martha urged, "we have to."

Jay shook her head, looking suddenly very concerned with everything. "Something's _wrong_ ," she said insistently, voice hot with anger that Martha wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. She turned to the Doctor in desperation. "I can feel it," she said as he met her gaze, frowning. "If we go there, something really bad will happen."

"When has that ever stopped us before?" he said pointedly, voice gentle despite his words.

"...it hasn't," she admitted, running a hand through her hair as she spoke, "but isn't there something we can do to make sure?" Jack shook his head and she sighed heavily before placing her hand on the vortex manipulator when Jack offered it. "If we're killed, I'm haunting you all," she grumbled, glaring at nothing in particular. "You especially, Jack."

"Why are you haunting me especially? I'll make sure you live, Jaybird," he said, grinning at her in response.

As soon as everyone was ready, the vortex manipulator sent them flying through space and time. Jay felt ill the second their feet landed in the _Valiant_. She retched quietly, her stomach churning, and Jack rubbed her back comfortingly as Martha groaned softly. "That thing is _rough_."

"I've had worse nights," Jack said cheerfully as the Doctor peered around, his dark eyes sharp and alert. "Welcome to the _Valiant_."

Martha waited until her head wasn't spinning before making her way over to a nearby window. She blinked, startled, and looked back as the Doctor came to join her. "Hold on, I thought this was a ship. Where's the sea? I just see...white."

"It's a ship for the twenty-first century," the Doctor said with a chuckle. He looked out the window alongside her just as the _Valiant_ crested the top of the clouds, leaving a blinding amount of sunlight peeking over the edge. Martha cursed under her breath and threw a hand up to protect her eyes. "Protecting the skies of planet Earth."

"Enough sightseeing," Jay huffed grouchily, rubbing her stomach as she threw Jack a grateful look, but stepped away from him. "I want to get all of this done and over with so that we can save the world and get off this ship." Something wasn't wright. She knew it. She could feel it, deep in her bones. She had the feeling that the Master likely wanted them there for some reason, and it was the only reason they were actually on the ship itself.

The Doctor nodded his agreement and ushered Martha away from the window. "Let's figure out what's going on here," he said firmly. "The Jones family will likely be somewhere on board and the Master, too. Don't go after your family if we find them," he warned Martha sharply, and she scowled at him in annoyance. "They'll be waiting for it."

"I know that," she said angrily. "I'm not stupid."

Jay rolled her eyes.

This was going to be a very long day.

* * *

They quickly made their way through the ship, finding their way into maintenance areas that were left unattended. They didn't see many people as they did so, if any at all. It was as they were passing a window displaying a beautiful view to those in the depths of the ship that Jay suddenly stopped, whipping around. Her breath hitched. "Jay?" the Doctor questioned when he nearly ran right into her.

"Sh," she said, slapping a hand over his mouth. He sputtered in outrage. Her eyes scanned the space around them. "Don't you hear it?"

"Hear _what_?" Martha snapped, impatient. Her family was on board, and she considered that more of a priority than whatever Jay was freaking out about. She shifted back and forth on the balls of her feet, glaring a little. "Come _on_ , my family's on board-"

" _Sh_!" Jay snapped right back at her, listening. She suddenly frowned and then dropped her hand from the Doctor's face. He frowned at her, rubbing his own hand over his chin - and then hissed her name when she shot off like a bullet, darting around a corner.

"Jayden!" he called sharply, taking off after her. Jack followed and Martha made a muffled frustrated scream before giving chase. They followed the blonde through the twisting maintenance areas and it wasn't long before the Doctor felt it. Felt _her_ , knew exactly where they were heading. His annoyance became a laugh of delight as he sped up. "Brilliant!"

" _Brilliant_?" Martha demanded. "What's brilliant?"

"Found her!" Jay crowed as they stepped into a storage space that held a beautiful and familiar police box. The TARDIS was just as they remembered it, although the reddish light gleaming from the window panes made them all wary. Martha lost her agitation and laughed in delight. Jay lost her smile, worried by the strange song the TARDIS was singing now that they were there. It had been strained before, but now...

Grinning, Jack studied the TARDIS as the Doctor stepped around Jay to unlock the doors. Impatience filled each of them until the lock clicked open and then the Doctor pushed the doors open. His expression dropped as he stepped in, filling with anger. Jay followed him in, her eyes filling with horror.

"What the hell's he done?" Jack's voice was muffled by the sobbing. The screaming. The pleaful song that begged for their help. Jay stumbled forward towards the console, but the Doctor stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, warning her not to touch it.

"What's he done?" Martha said, echoing Jack's question when the Doctor didn't give them an answer. "Sounds like it's sick…" She trailed off, staring at a section of the console that had been stripped clean of parts. It was barred off. None of them would dare to touch anything after the Doctor's warning anyways.

"He's cannibalized her," he breathed. The Doctor looked heartbroken and furious. "It's a paradox machine," he added, gesturing to the console and the screen that was displaying symbols the other three couldn't read. It was flickering green, glitching every now and then. "As soon as this hits red," he said, pointing carefully to a meter on the screen, "it activates. At this speed, it'll trigger at two minutes past eight."

"First contact is at eight," Jack told them, eyeing Jay as she began to meander around the TARDIS, her face unreadable. There was a set to her shoulders that hadn't been there before that moment, not throughout the time he'd known the young woman, and when she glanced at him, noticing that she was being watched, there was a fury unlike any other Jack had seen in her gaze. He hastily yanked his gaze away from Jay and focused back on the Doctor. "What's the paradox machine going to do, Doctor?"

"More importantly," Jay said quietly, finally coming to a stop. "Can you stop it?" She got the feeling that what it would do the time machine she'd grown so fond of since joining the Doctor and Martha was anything but good.

The Doctor shook his head, much to all of their disappointment. "Not until I know what it's doing. If I touch the wrong thing, it'll blow up the solar system."

"Great," Martha said irritably, rolling her eyes. "So we've got to rely on getting the Master to cooperate. How do we stop him from doing whatever this is going to do?" She gestured to the mess the Master had made of their home.

The Doctor surprised his friends with a massive grin, his dark eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, did I tell you? Sorry, I've got a plan."

Jay glared at him and gave him a shove that didn't have much effort put into it. "Jerk," she hissed and he flashed her a cheeky wink before sprinting for the doors. They followed him almost immediately, determined to find out what the Doctor's plan was and to stop the Master's plan in its tracks.

The Doctor called his plan over his shoulder as they nearly ran through the many maintenance halls. "If I can get the key around the Master's neck, cancel out his perception, they'll see him for real. It's just hard to go unnoticed with everyone on red alert. If they stop _me_ …"

"We've all got keys," Martha said darkly. "I'll get him no matter what."

Jay threw her friend a worried look. Something told her that when this was all over and done with, if they succeeded, then Martha would be very unhappy with the Doctor. More so than she was now. Maybe not unhappy, she told herself, but upset with him nonetheless, although she'd known there was danger when she'd joined along. Jay thought about that as they began the process of finding the Master again.

She'd accepted that there was danger the second she'd started tagging along with the Doctor. Martha had to have accepted that, too...but Jay wasn't entirely sure that Martha had understood just how much. Jay loved her friend, but Martha hadn't prepared for this outcome, and she should have.

Traveling with a Time Lord had proven to be dangerous for all involved time and time again, even if they weren't directly attached to him like she and Martha were, and Martha had failed to realize that applied to her, too.

They arrived at where the president of the United States was giving his speech to the world with the master somewhat nearby. _Almost eight,_ Jay thought when Jack checked his manipulator and scowled. They'd have started the meet-and-greet between the Toclafane and the rest of the planet by now. They were proven right as they stopped, somewhat breathless, at the entrance to a massive room in which several were gathered.

The second Jay looked to the Toclafane, she knew what they were, and it nearly drove her to her knees as she listened in silence to the screams and cries no one else could hear, tears gathering in her eyes and falling. She was crying far too much, she thought.

"My name is Arthur Coleman Winters," the president was saying proudly, "and I am President-Elect of the United States of America as well as the designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon." He looked calmly at the odd metal spheres that circled him.

That calmness turned to shock when the first of the three Toclafane that circled him spoke. "You're not the Master," it said in a distinctively masculine voice.

"We like the Mr. Master," another supplied, voice higher pitched and feminine.

"We don't like you," the third added darkly in a deeper voice.

Jay felt the blood drain from her face. This wasn't going to end well. She could tell right off the bat. She took Martha's hand and squeezed. Martha returned the gesture of comfort, her face full of worry.

Winters looked rather confused. "I can be Master, if you so wish," he said, looking to a woman off to the side in confusion. She looked just as puzzled as he did. "I will accept mastery over you if that is God's plan."

"Man is stupid," the Toclafane with the deep voice snickered.

"Master is our friend," the first agreed.

"Where's my Master, pretty please?" the second sang.

Jay spared a quick look to the Doctor, and found his face as unhappy as she felt. He knew as well as she did that something bad was about to happen, and the tensed way he held his shoulders told her was ready to spring into action if need be. Their thoughts were proven correct when the Master could seemingly no longer hold himself back and stood from his place beside his wife, holding his hands up with a laugh. "Oh, fine. It's me. Ta-da! Sorry, sorry, I have this effect on people. They just get _obsessed_. Is it the smile? The aftershave? The capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy, isn't it?" He laughed again when Winters scowled and demanded to know what he was talking about. The Master lost his smile and threw Winters a look that sent chills down Jay's back. "I'm taking control, Uncle Sam. Starting with...you. Kill him."

In a matter of seconds, one of the Toclafane had shot Winters with something bright that turned him to dust. Jay flinched back as chaos erupted. Several dozen people tried to leave the room, only to be stopped as a series of guards removed their weapons, dealing with the problem until they'd all been forced to the floor on their knees.

Martha's nails dug into Jay's hand as the Master turned back to the series of cameras that had been set up. "Now then, peoples of the Earth, please attend carefully."

The Doctor didn't let him get any further than that, expression shifting as he lurched forward. The guards had been waiting for something to happen, it appeared, and Jay briefly wondered how they'd seen past the Doctor's perception filter as they wrestled the furious Time Lord to the ground. He knelt alongside everyone else, a guard on either side of him as the Master beamed at him. "We meet at last, Doctor! Oh, I _love_ saying that!"

"Stop this," the Doctor said quietly. There was no desperation, nor anger, nor even a plea in his voice. The Master seemed to falter a little at the way he spoke, but quickly erased his own look of worry. "Stop it now."

The Master curled a lip at the Doctor and then clicked his tongue. "As if a perception filter gonna work on me. Oh, and look! It's the girlie, the freak, and the monstrosity! Although, I'm not entirely sure which one's which…" Jack made a split second decision and Jay saw his expression barely change before he lunged forward. He was met by a blast from a weapon that Jay had never seen before. He hit the ground, dead, and Jay and Martha exchanged terrified looks. Jay pushed back her own fear and threw herself for him, hitting the ground hard on her knees. The Doctor was saying something as she did so, urging the Master to see things in the right way, but she barely noticed as she felt for a heartbeat.

He'd be alright, she knew. Logically, he'd be fine. But it was still terrifying as hell to see his gaze staring so blankly at the ceiling of the room within the _Valiant._

The Master looked smug as he waved at the guards. They threw the Doctor painfully to the floor, hard enough that he hit the ground on his hands with a grunt. He only just barely managed to catch himself before his face hit the hard floor. The Master flounced over to crouch before him, grinning. "It's that sound," the Doctor gasped, "that sound in your head. What if I could help?"

Jay could hear it now. _Bu-bu-bu-bump_ , over and over, enough to drive her towards the brink of sanity. She understood what the Doctor meant and wished she could have told him sooner about just how intently she heard it when the Master was around. She shook the thought out of her head and focused on Martha when she joined the pair on the floor, too anxious to remain alone.

"How to shut him up?" the Master questioned to himself, grinning. "I know! Let's take a trip down Memory Lane. Professor Lazarus. Remember him, Doctor?" He smirked at the furious Time Lord. "And his genetic manipulation device? Did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all of that technology into one little screwdriver...oh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code."

Jay could feel furious tears rising in her eyes. She hated this man with a passion that she'd granted only to her father. She heard Martha mutter in her ear, but didn't hear what she said as the Master gasped, producing a silver device from his pocket. "Oh, wait! I do! I've got his hand! And if Lazarus made himself young...what if I _reverse_ it? What do you think?" He frowned at the two women, his eyes glimmering with malice. "Another hundred years?"

"Stop," Jay began to demand, but the Master ignored her in favor of aiming his device at the Doctor. The sounds that left the Doctor - the _screams_ as he convulsed in a manner that looked incredibly painful. Jay gave a choked sob, snapping her gaze to Jack when he suddenly gasped, "Teleport," and shoved the vortex manipulator at Martha. "Both of you."

Martha nearly dropped it, tears streaming down her face as another cry rang out from their friend. Jay said nothing as Jack said, "We can't stop him. Get out of here. Now."

Martha looked back when the Doctor suddenly fell silent. Jay's heart broke a little as she stared at the ancient-looking Doctor. Gone was the youthful Time Lord she'd tagged along with; in his place was an incredibly old and pained man, who was heaving for air. Martha didn't hesitate to crawl over to him on her hands and knees, grabbing his hand with a word of sympathy.

As the Master laughed, mocking Martha in the form of gesturing for a series of guards to escort her parents and Tish in, earning her horror, Jay remained where she was. Instead of following Martha, knowing that she should have if she was to accompany her off of the _Valiant_ with the manipulator, Jay took Jack's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm not going anywhere. Not if you guys aren't." He said her name warningly, looking ready to force her to, but Jay shook her head, a soft choked sound leaving her face. "I won't leave you. I _won't_."

She would not escape to safety, no matter how temporary it was, and leave the Doctor and Jack behind.

The Doctor's breathless voice, quivering slightly in a way it never had, filled her ears. "The Toclafane. Who are they? _Who are they_?"

"Doctor," the Master purred, eyes alight with excitement. "If I told you the truth, your hearts would break." The Toclafane began to sing and demand to know if it was time. He checked his watch and lit up like a Christmas tree. Jay's stomach twisted with terror when he cried, "Time for the show!" He pointed that strange sonic device upwards and then hit the button.

Jay didn't know what was happening outside as the Master offered his hand to his wife and lead her over to a porthole to watch. "Shall we decimate them? That sounds good. Nice word…decimate. Remove one-tenth of the population!" he ordered the small metallic orbs.

Jay helped Jack sit up and he winced, rubbing his chest. "Are you okay?" she whispered, her voice echoing weakly in her own ears. She listened numbly to the messages that filled the air a few seconds after the Master's orders, various places demanding help as the Toclafane went to work. She gripped the Jack's hand and he tugged her against him for a hug, not speaking. She buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing quietly. He put his chin on her head and exchanged a look with the Doctor, who was watching them. Martha had disappeared, he realized, and left the rest of them behind.

The Doctor had a plan, Jack thought as he stared at the Time Lord, offering what comfort he could to the distressed woman. He'd put it into action. Jack couldn't say he knew when it would finally truly begin...but he had a plan.

And all they could do as the Earth fell to pieces beneath them was wait.

 _Whew! Hit a bit of a wall there, but the start of the thirteenth Doctor bro_

* * *

 _ught me back! Loving her so far. She's pretty damn good._

 _One more chapter with Martha, and then we move on! I love Martha, but I'm excited for what's to come._

 _Thanks to the loveliest of reviewers (bored 411) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	14. Last of the Time Lords

**ONE YEAR LATER...**

* * *

Martha shivered as she waded through the near icy water, her face serious. Her dark hair was drawn out of her face, her brown eyes fierce with a hard look that hadn't been there a year prior. Nearby, a man waited patiently for her to join him, his face scruffy with a beard despite his youth. Not much older or younger than her, Martha thought, offering him a tight smile. "What's your name then?"

"Tom Milligan," he told her with a curt nod in greeting. "No need to ask who you are...the famous Martha Jones. How long since you were last in Britain?"

"Three-hundred-sixty-five days," she answered, grimacing. She remembered the day she'd left with ease, knew that for every second of every day that she'd been gone, people she loved and cared deeply for had been suffering. "It's been a really long year." A very lonely one, too.

The pair began to walk, making their way up the beach. Martha was grateful that Tom had been waiting for her, willing to guide her. They'd used back channels to contact one another. "So what's the plan?" he asked her.

"This Professor Docherty I've heard of. I need to see her...can you get me there?"

"She works in a repair shed, at Nuclear Plant Seven," he informed her confidently. "I can get you inside...what's all this for? What's so important about her that you came all this way?"

"Sorry," Martha replied immediately, shaking her head. "The more you know, the more you're at risk."

Unbothered by her answer, Tom shrugged to himself. "There's a lot of people depending on you, you know. You're a bit of a legend." Martha glanced at him, curious, and arched a brow in question. He eagerly answered her wordless demand. "Legend says you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That you're the only person to get out of Japan alive. 'Martha Jones,' they say. 'She's gonna save the world.' Bit late for that, mind you."

Martha said nothing. She knew what she was doing. She was doing exactly as the Doctor said. He had a plan, and although it was taking some time, it would come through. _He_ would come through. He always did. She frowned when they came across a large truck. "How come you can drive?" she demanded, knowing that it wasn't generally allowed. Most vehicles were stopped by the Toclafane, their drivers murdered to ensure that no one did what the Master didn't want them to do.

"Medical staff," Tom said proudly. "Used to be in pediatrics back in the good old days, but that gives me a license so I can travel to and from the labor camps."

Martha winced at both the reminder of the camps and the fact that no matter what she seemed to do, she was always traveling with a reminder of the Doctor. Still, she said nothing about it as she hauled herself into the truck.

"You know," Tom said suddenly, starting the engine. "The story goes that you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. That you and you alone can kill the Master stone dead."

Martha would, if given the chance. But she only muttered, "Let's just drive," and looked out the window, desperately worried for those she knew remained skyward.

It only took a few hours to get to where Martha wanted to go - to where Tom had promised to take her: the edges of where Nuclear Plant 7 resided.

"All over the Earth," Martha grumbled, eyeing a massive version of the Master that had been carved into a series of rocks. She scowled at it. She'd seen several. She and Tom were crouched atop a small cliff, watching with care what happened beneath. She could see what looked like hundreds of strangely shaped silos that resembled the silo the people aiming for Utopia had been fired from. "He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore."

Rather than responding, Tom hissed, "Keep down. Over here." She crawled over to him to peer over the edge. "The entire south coast of England," he said, nodding to the silos, "was converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labor every morning. Break up cars, houses, _anything_. Just for the metal. They built a fleet out of scrap."

Martha had seen them before, knew precisely what they were. "You should see Russia," she told him. "That's Shipyard Number One. All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait. There's one hundred thousand rockets ready for war."

"War?" Tom asked immediately. "With who?"

"The rest of the universe." Martha's voice grew wistful. She remembered the fun days, the days before everything had gone wrong just a year prior. She missed them dearly, and though she couldn't say that she'd go back at that moment, she'd always be grateful for having the chance. "I've been out there, Tom, in space. Before all this happened. There's a thousand different civilizations all around us with no idea of what's happening here." She felt a stab of fear for them. They didn't deserve what the Master planned for them. "He can build weapons big enough to devastate them all."

"You've been in space?" Tom said, the only thing he gathered from the statements she'd made. Martha rolled her eyes. "Anything else I should know?"

"I've met Shakespeare," she said dryly just to amuse herself before snapping her head around when a dark voice demanded, "Identify, little man."

Tom scrambled to his feet. They found two Toclafane hovering behind them, and Martha made herself remain entirely still as he stammered, "I...I've got a license. Thomas Milligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking-"

The pair laughed together, one voice high the other low. "Soon the rockets will fly and everyone will need medicine," the higher-pitched voice crooned. "You'll be so busy. So, so busy."

Tom blinked when they flew off and said nothing about Martha. When he looked at her, she climbed to her feet and held out the key that still hung around her neck. She flashed a tiny smile at him and then waved for him to lead the way back to his truck. "How do you think I traveled the world? 'Cause the Master set up Archangel, that mobile network, fifteen satellites around the planet, but really it's transmitting a low-level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotized into thinking the Master was Harold Saxon."

God, had that really only been a year ago? She remembered sitting in that warehouse, figuring all of this out with the Doctor and Jay and Jack. She remembered how each of them had looked, and she missed them - and her family - dearly.

"Anyways, the key's tuned into the same frequency," Martha finished. When they were both in the truck, Tom started it and they were soon off again. "Makes me sort of...not invisible, just unnoticeable."

"But I can see you," he pointed out.

"That's cause you wanted to." Tom laughed, and she flashed him a brief smile. She liked Tom. He was a good person, doing his best to help where he could in the battle against the Master. "Is there a Mrs. Milligan?"

"No, what about you?" he asked, looking vaguely interested.

Martha's lips quirked a little as she sighed, "There used to be someone. A long time ago." She shook her head. "Not anymore." She cared deeply for the Doctor, but she'd never forgive him for allowing her family to be dragged into their problems. _His_ problems. He'd not told her that such a thing could happen, although she supposed she should have known after everything that had happened with the O'Connors family.

She wished she'd realized the truth sooner.

* * *

A year had done a great deal of pain to those on the _Valiant._ Martha's family, turned into servants who did as the Master demanded. The Doctor, tormented daily, yet managing to appear patient and calm despite everything that the Master said and did. Jay, tending to Lucy's every desire, often times resulting in doing what the Master wanted. Jack, chained in a backroom for the Master to play with when he saw fit, more often than not tortured simply to see how much he could take before dying and coming back. No one was happy with it. No one could do anything.

From where she was placing a platter of sweets onto a table, Jay winced as the Master suddenly bustled by with a cheerful whistle. _Bu-bu-bu-bump_ , when that sound in his head, making her wince. She'd managed to keep it from him thus far. She wasn't entirely sure how. Likely constant interference from the Doctor, who she'd ensured was fully aware of just how intense the sound was to her. The conversation had occurred out of luck and on a rare occasion that she'd been alone in the same room with him, no guards or the Master or even Lucy in sight. The Master rarely left the Doctor alone in the same room with anyone, although he wasn't as careful with the Jones family, and bits and pieces of plans had filtered in through the grapevine as time went on.

 _"Doctor," she said after a few moments of silence, pausing in the cleaning she'd been told to do. She knew what would happen if it wasn't done - mocking, tormenting, possibly worse. She'd been forced to deal with such things alongside everyone else - particularly since the Master seemed to hold a strong dislike for her. She'd started that on her own power, naturally, when she'd snapped out of the blue at him one day, furious that he'd been pushing and pushing. She'd known he'd been waiting for it but hadn't been able to help herself, the constant thudding and his words driving her to the edge._

 _The Doctor glanced at her, looking far more tired than he usually did. He was in a wheelchair that the Master oftentimes used against him. She winced, remembering when he'd been able to sprint around and barely lose his breath. She supposed that age eventually caught up to everyone and that Time Lords were of no exception._

 _Clearing her throat, she quickly strode across the room to stand before him. She refused to bend even the slightest, knowing that he hated it. She'd seen it in his eyes when the Master would do so, as soon as he'd turned away. Not wanting to lose any time, she said, "I hear them. The drums he hears. It's...it's horrible, all the time, and it's worse when he comes around. And sometimes I hear the TARDIS. At least, I think it's her. I've always heard her when she's near."_

 _She didn't think the Doctor had ever truly understood just how much she heard. Perhaps the realization had truly started the moment they'd found the paradox machine, when she'd heard the TARDIS even before he had. It clearly struck him now though. "Don't let him find out." His words were hoarse but firm, curt. He'd been waiting for the chance offered now. "Don't let him find out about the attacks, either. He'll use them."_

 _He'd already noticed the scars on her arm, the black veins, and had expressed intense interest in them despite knowing already that there was something different about her. He'd known long ago, Jay knew, recalling how he'd called her a kind of monstrosity._

 _"I won't," she said quietly. She took a shaken breath. She missed how things used to be. They'd been on the_ Valiant _for a few weeks now, and she was constantly on alert. It was exhausting. She could have slept for hours. She hesitantly reached out and took his hand, seeking comfort. He squeezed her hand gently before dropping it._

 _"The Toclafane," he said quietly. "Do you know what they are?"_

 _"I've known from the second I heard them," she whispered, heart immediately swelling with pain. "I hate him. I hate him for everything he's done, Doctor."_

 _The Doctor said nothing, only quietly told her to go back to what she'd been doing so the Master didn't have an excuse to torment the pair of them further in some way._

It took everything in her not to flinch when the Master suddenly wheeled the Doctor in, his face alight with excitement as he sang, placing him beside a porthole that showed off the world outside, "It's ready to rise, Doctor! The new Time Lord Empire. It's good, isn't it? Isn't it good? Anything? No?"

Jay smirked to herself for the briefest of seconds. The Doctor's ability to keep a straight face and not react bothered the Master more than anything else. _Good for you_. "Oh, but they broke your hearts, didn't they? Those Toclafane." Jay lost her smirk, her own heart aching at the thought of them. She didn't know when the Doctor had worked it out, didn't know if Jack had. But she knew it killed her every time they came around.

The Master's next statement made her freeze in her tracks. "They say Martha Jones has come back home. Now why would she do that?"

The Doctor said nothing, but Jay spat immediately, bristling, "Leave Martha alone."

The Master grinned, flashing a mocking look over his shoulder. "I haven't forgot about _you_ , Miss O'Connors!" Jay stiffened, glaring right back at him. There went a year's worth of work avoiding his attention. "So, Doctor, you said something to Miss Martha Jones, didn't you?" He leaned back down to smirk at the Doctor's neutral expression. "What did you tell her?"

The Doctor finally spoke, shifting his gaze quietly to the Master. "I have one thing to say to you and you know what it is," he told him evenly.

Jay didn't miss the brief fear that crossed the Master's features before he suddenly kicked the wheelchair so that the Doctor went rolling away. She abandoned what she was doing to make sure he was okay as a voice called out over an intercom, _"_ Valiant _now entering Zone One airspace. Citizens rejoice."_

The Master strode across the room, clapping his hands as he beamed. "Come on, people! What are we doing? Launch Day in twenty-four hours!"

"Are you okay?" Jay breathed when she'd reached the Doctor, frowning. She was worried about him, and she crouched carefully beside the wheelchair. Francine, who'd been crossing through the room, paused when she saw them. Martha's mother furrowed her brow a little in worry.

"Fine," the Doctor muttered back and then suddenly flashed three fingers at Jay, where no one could see Jay's eyes widened and she quickly masked her surprise before straightening, her lips pressed together. She caught sight of Francine and flashed the same signal, remaining where she was.

Francine inclined her head just a fraction before sliding out of the room. Jay let out a soft gush of air. She wasn't sure what the Doctor's plan was for Martha, but their more relevant one was being put into action and she was admittedly worried about it as she looked back towards where the Master was nearly dancing around.

One wrong move, she knew, and he'd have no problem with using that sonic device to turn them into ash.

The day went as most of them did. The Master mocked them all in a variety of ways. He left the Doctor in the wheelchair to watch everything that he did, although the Doctor did nothing to react. Francine and Tish were soon standing confidently in the room that Jay and the Doctor were in, keeping equal distances between them for when the plan went into action. Jay made sure to stay beside him, enjoying his presence despite the tense situation. She kept her expression neutral, however, hands tucked behind her back.

Hopefully everything would go well. She hoped desperately that it would.

Francine glanced over to Jay, seeking reassurance when the Master strutted into the room with his quietly smiling wife, musing, "Time for my massage. Who shall I have today?" He eyed the people within the room as he shrugged off his jacket and slung it onto a table that resided within the center of the room, gaze sweeping briefly past Tish, Francine, and the Doctor before he smirked at Jay. She tensed, knowing fully well what he was going to say despite the clear professionals nearby.

"Jay," he said, smiling widely at her in a mocking manner. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Jay spared a quick look to Francine and Tish. Tish sent her a worried, sympathetic look, but shrugged. Biting the urge to tell him no, because she knew it wouldn't end well for more than just one person, Jay made her way over to the Master and stood behind him after he'd draped himself across a nice chair, Lucy beside him. She hesitated to do what he wanted, and had just begun to lift her hands to move through with it when a voice suddenly blared out along with several flashing red lights, _"Condition red! Repeat: condition red!"_

The Master rocketed to his feet, bristling as Lucy rose, too, looking worried. Jay jerked back, retreating to safety as Francine lunged for the Master's shed suit jacket. She threw it to Tish, who snagged it with quick fingers and darted over to the Doctor, slipping it into his hands.

The Doctor had the sonic device that the Master had used to "kill" Jack on their first day there, one he'd used several times after, in his hand and pointed at the Master with a few smooth movements. "Oh," the Master muttered, putting his hands up in surrender. "I see."

"I told you," the Doctor said. "I have one thing to say."

He pressed the button and nothing happened.

Sheer terror swept through Jay when he tried again and it failed. She pressed her back against the wall behind her as the Master grinned, not the least bit surprised.

"Isomorphic controls, which means they only work for me," the Master purred, sauntering over to the Doctor. The Doctor looked a mixture of shocked and not surprised, all at the same time. Jay got the feeling he was annoyed with himself. He should have expected such a thing and hadn't.

Jay knew that was something that would likely bother him to the end of his days.

Just as suddenly, the Master's expression blackened and he whirled around, using the sonic device to shoot a laser at the wall near Francine's head. She screamed, sobbing and flinching away. Jay didn't move, though she wished she could have gone to the terrified woman. "Say sorry!" the Master snarled, voice lifted to a shout.

"Mum!" Tish cried as Francine sobbed her apologies hysterically. She flew to Francine's side, wrapping her arms around her as she glared at the Master.

His face was cold as he stared them down. He barely reacted as Lucy quickly clicked her way over in her heels, picking up his suit jacket and brushing it off before helping the Master into it. "Didn't you learn anything from the blessed Saint Martha?" he said coldly. "Siding with the Doctor is a very dangerous thing to do." He gestured to some guards. "Take them away."

The guards stepped forward and four went to take care of Francine and Tish while another two went towards Jay. Jay flinched when her wrist was grabbed, yanking her forward.

A chill ran down her spine when the Master pointed at her. "Not her. Leave her."

"Leave her alone," the Doctor warned quietly, eyes narrowing. Jay pressed her lips together, silently shouting at him to not make things worse. She didn't know just what the Master was planning now, but she knew that one wrong move from either of them would mean something bad.

The Master waited until the Jones women had been escorted from the room and then flashed Lucy a smile. "Bring her over, would you?"

"Of course," Lucy murmured, striding across the room. She grabbed Jay's wrist and pulled her along, not quite as roughly as the guard had been, but tightly enough that she winced. The stabbing tingles raced along her fingers and despite everything that had happened in the past year, Jay felt a stab of relief that at least there'd been only one attack that had occurred during the night, when she was supposed to have been asleep. Her theory was likely correct, she thought, although she expected that it should have been confirmed long ago.

Lucy planted Jay right where the Master pointed to, a few feet away from the Doctor. Jay kept a calm look on her face despite the fear in her chest. She didn't know what was coming, but it was going to be bad.

One smooth movement and the press of a button had a laser fired off so that it missed her head by mere centimeters. Instinct had her reacting faster than she thought she could, dropping to the ground without a sound, hands protecting her head. She winced at the sting of her knees, shivering as she realized just how close she'd been to death. Her heart thudded away painfully to her chest, offbeat with the _bu-bu-bu-bump_ in the Master's head.

The Doctor reacted only slightly, forcing himself to do nothing more than clench his jaw and glare at the Master. The Master smirked, unbothered. He left Jay on the floor, sauntering over to lean against the table. His gaze lingered mockingly on the Doctor. "Look at you. All helpless. You wouldn't think that there were days when the Doctor - oh, that famous Doctor - was waging a time war. Battling Sea Devils and Axons. He sealed the rift at the Medusa Cascade single-handed. And look at him now. Stealing screwdrivers that don't even work. How did he ever come to this?"

"I just need you to listen," the Doctor insisted, sounding a little angry.

The Master seemed to thrive off of it. "No," he said excitedly, "it's my turn. Revenge! Best served hot and this time...it's a message for Miss Jones."

Jay's head snapped up, her eyes widening.

Just like that, things had gotten worse.

* * *

Martha and Tom were silent as they squeezed through a hole in a chain-link fence. Tom had cut it only moments prior and he urged for her to keep down as they dropped through to the other side and then bolted across an uncomfortably open field that surrounded the compound they were trying to get into.

When they reached the compound itself and slipped inside, they nearly groaned in relief, sharing matching looks of happiness. They'd made it. A loud sound made them falter, but a quick search revealed that it was merely an older woman with graying hair striking an old computer monitor. Martha furrowed her brow and then glanced over when Tom said hesitantly, "Professor Docherty?"

"Busy," the older woman snapped curtly, striking the computer again. She scowled.

"They sent word ahead," Tom said hesitantly, exchanging a wary look with Martha now. Martha kept herself calm despite the impatience creeping through her. Things were going to change soon. She could _feel_ it. "I'm Tom Milligan. This is Martha Jones."

Docherty spat at the floor, still focused on the computer. "She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy." She scowled viciously at the monitor. "We've been told there's gonna be a transmission from the man himself." A final hit brought static to the screen and a cry of relief to Docherty. "Ha! There."

Martha immediately strode around the table that blocked the path between them as a voice she knew well filled the air, somewhat strange because of the speakers. A shiver went down her spine when she found herself looking at the smiling face of the Master.

 _"My people,"_ he crooned on the screen. _"Salutations on this, the eve of war. I know that there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope."_ Martha bit back the urge to smirk. She was doing more than just that. Her smirk vanished when the camera followed the Master as he suddenly walked away, going to stand beside the wheelchair bound Doctor. Her breath hitched. _"But I ask you...how much hope has this man got? Say hello, Gandalf!"_ He laughed. _"Except he's not_ that _old, but he's an alien with a much greater than you stunted little apes."_

The Master turned his attention down onto the Doctor, his face still showing a broad grin. _"What if it showed? What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All nine hundred years of your life, Doctor...what if we could see them?"_ He laughed again and aimed a familiar device that Martha remembered quite clearly at him. _"Older...and older...and older…_ " he hummed as the Doctor hit the ground with a pained cry, writhing about. Martha kept her silence as the Doctor seemed to disappear into nothing, the only thing left being his clothes. Her fingers curled into fists when he reappeared.

She didn't know what to think of the odd-looking Doctor that glared weakly up at the Master. Off screen, Martha could hear a familiar cry. _Jay_. She was alive, too. The Master lost his smile as he turned his face to the camera, expression cold. _"Received and understood, Miss Jones?"_

The connection ended.

"I'm sorry," Tom said softly, horrified by what he'd seen.

But Martha wasn't worried. She had work to do and the sight of the Doctor alive as well as the realization that Jay was okay, too, had given her the push to keep going that she'd found herself needing as of late. Instead, she turned to Docherty. "I need help. What do you know about the Archangel Network?"

The professor looked surprised by the question, her fingers playing as she looked at Martha for a long moment through quiet dark eyes. "Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be the Master's greatest weakness." This. _This_ was only part of why Martha had sought out the woman who knew far more than most did about the Master. Fifteen satellites all around Earth, still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It's broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared."

"We could just take them out," Tom said and Martha wanted to smack his head.

"We could," Docherty agreed, clearly feeling the same as Martha did as she arched a brow. "Fifteen ground-to-air missiles. You got any on you? Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend."

"They're not called Toclafane," Martha said. They immediately looked to ehr, curious. "That's a name the Master came up with. That's why I came to find you. Know your enemy. I've got this." She pulled a disc from her coat, offering it to Docherty, who took it with a wary look. "No one's been able to look at a sphere up close. They can't even be damaged...except once. A lightning strike in South Africa brought one down by chance. I've got the readings on this."

Docherty studied the disk before putting it into the disk drive of the machine she'd been banging on previously. "Whoever would have thought that we'd miss Bill Gates?" she muttered under her breath.

"Is that why you traveled the world? To find a disc?" Tom was staring at Martha in confusion. She shook her head and declared it luck.

"I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon," Docherty added, and Martha smiled to herself. In a way, perhaps. She was doing it in a way. She just hoped that the Doctor's plan worked out. She crossed her fingers when Docherty suddenly gasped, "There! A current of fifty-eight-point-five kilo amperes transferred charge of five-hundred-ten megajoules precisely."

Martha couldn't say she knew exactly what was being said other than Tom's question of "Can you recreate that?"

She nodded slowly. "I think so...easily, yes." She grinned.

"All right then, Dr. Milligan," Martha replied, turning to Tom with twinkling eyes. "We're gonna get us a sphere!"

* * *

"Tomorrow, they launch," the Master declared as he led Lucy out onto the bridge in which so many things had happened aboard the _Valiant_. From where he was caged in an a somewhat over-sized bird cage, the Doctor watched knowingly, patiently. _Patience_. It was something that was harder to keep now a days. "We're opening up a rift in the Braccatolian space and they won't see us coming." The Master made a face. "Kinda scary."

"Then stop," the Doctor said coldly. He gripped the bars of that bird cage, furious that he was trapped within. Perhaps it would have been better to remain quiet, but the Master, as much as he enraged him...he was his friend from so long ago.

"Once the empire is established and there's a new Gallifrey in the heavens, maybe then...it stops." He walked swiftly over to the bird cage, peeking through the bars at the Doctor. The Doctor remained firm. "The drumming, the never-ending drumbeat." He tapped it out, so familiar, with a finger on one of the bars. "Ever since I was a child. I looked into the vortex and that's when it chose me. The drumming, the call to war. Can't you hear it? Listen, it's there now. Right now. Tell me you can hear it, Doctor. Tell me."

The Doctor's mind flashed back to the conversation he'd had with Jay months ago. The worry on his friend's face as she considered what the Master would do if he ever found out. The Doctor found himself concerned about the matter as well. "It's only you," he lied.

"Good." The Master's voice was edged with something that made the Doctor only more certain. He could not find out. He spun around, away from the Doctor as a door slid open and a Toclafane entered, hovering. It declared the next day the day the war began and the Doctor grimly hoped that Martha had done as he'd told her.

Without her...he wasn't sure that the Earth would be salvageable.

"You see?" the Master said cheerfully as he gestured to the Toclafane. "I'm doing it for them! You should be grateful. After all, you love them. So very, very much." The Doctor's grip tightened on the bars. He spun around and reached a hand for his wife. "I took Lucy to Utopia. A Time Lord and his human companion, off to see the stars. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Lucy smiled warmly and put her hand in his. "Trillions of years into the future, to the end of the universe." Her gaze flickered suddenly and the Doctor became curious. She didn't seem too intent on anything that the Master was doing. "Dying," she breathed. "It was all dying. The whole of creation was falling apart. And I thought...there's no point. No point to anything. Not ever."

"You should have seen it, Doctor," the Master purred, pressing his lips to the back of her hand. "Furnaces, burning. The last of humanity screaming at the dark...all that human invention that had sustained them across the eons. It all turned inwards. They cannibalized themselves. Regressing into children. But it didn't work. The universe was collapsing around them, and I saved them with my paradox machine.

"My masterpiece," he added proudly. "A living TARDIS, strong enough to hold the paradox in place, allowing the past and the future to collide in indefinite majesty."

The Doctor was furious with what he was doing. Furious with what had happened to his beloved TARDIS. The ship was more than just that - it was his _home_. It was where he and his family had lived throughout his incarnations. And it was technically gone. "But you're changing history! Not just Earth...the entire universe." Keep him talking, the Doctor told himself. Perhaps he'd learn something of value.

"I'm a Time Lord," was the Master's irritable response. "I have that right."

"But even then, why come all this way just to destroy?"

The Toclafane suddenly spoke, making him feel a flash of despair for what had happened to the poor humans who'd sought Utopia. "We've come backwards in time to build a brand new empire lasting one-hundred-trillion years."

"With me as their Master," the Master finished, laughing again. "Haven't you always dreamt of that, Doctor?" He made his way back over to the cage, arm in arm with his wife. "Human race, greatest monster of them all! Night-night, Doctor." He smirked, and then turned, guiding Lucy out of the room with an arm sliding around her shoulders. The Toclafane followed.

The Doctor let out a soft gust of air when he was gone, frustrated with his situation. Patience was running thin, and he hoped fiercely that Jay, Jack, and Martha's family would be able to hold out for the time being.

* * *

The Master left his wife to rest in favor of one more opportunity. The drums raced through his head, and Jay could hear them as he approached. Her eyes blazed with anger as she sat curled up in the prison cell with the Jones family. Tish and Francine were sleeping, Clive dozing despite trying his best not to. Jay had offered to stay up and watch, as they always did.

She didn't wake anyone when the Master crouched beside the bars of the cell and purred, "Look at you, like helpless rats in a cage."

Jay wanted to slap herself when she retorted, "Look at you, as blind as a bat."

His gaze sharpened with agitation, that mad glint worrisome. _Bu-bu-bu-bump,_ thudded the drums in his head. Thudded the drums in _her_ head. She wanted to scream. She just wanted him to leave her alone and go away so she could have some semblance of peace, listen for the hints of the TARDIS's beautiful song despite the agonized screams interwoven with it. "You know something. About what Miss Jones is doing. Tell me."

"I don't know anything," Jay said truthfully. "I really don't. The Doctor's not said anything to me. I'm as clueless as you." She curled her knees to her chest, putting her arms around them as she stared him down. _Bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump, bu-bu-bu-bump._

"I think you're lying."

Jay looked him in the eye and smirked. "And I think that sound in your head is making you deaf." _Damn it,_ she thought immediately when interest crossed his face.

"And what sound is that?" he said, grinning. "You hear them," he realized when she hastily clamped her mouth shut and said nothing in response, and she barely concealed the panic that filled her. "You hear the drums." He hummed the rhythm. "And you didn't even tell the Doctor. How fascinating...the Doctor claims to hate violence and yet his own companion hears the drums of war."

Jay stared him down coldly, her eyes narrowing. "I hear the drums you're creating, Time Lord," she hissed, "and I hear them ending."

Rage flashed across his features. The Master looked half-inclined to drag her out and kill her, she thought. "So you think," he said, and then stood. He turned to leave, pausing only to say one more thing. He threw her a smirk. "You'll sing another tune when the war actually starts," he said confidently, "and if you're lucky, maybe I'll have a spot open for you. Anyone who hears them is meant to create destruction, and don't think you're any different, Miss O'Connors."

* * *

The process of actually catching a Toclafane was actually fairly easy, Martha thought. She watched as Docherty worked furiously to open the sphere up. A simple trap laced with the electricity to town it and there they were, a down Toclafane on the table before them. Martha eyed her cautiously. She knew better than to trust most people, and Docherty was particularly one she knew better than to have faith in. She'd known that walking in.

"There's some sort of magnetic clamp," Docherty grumbled, looking excited as she worked. "Hold on, I'll just trip the - there we-" She cut off with a gasp, jumping. "Oh, God!"

Martha snapped her attention to the situation at hand and gasped as the old head within, attached to machinery, pried its eyes open. "It's alive," she breathed, and then stiffened when it whimpered her name.

"Martha," the head breathed, voice strange. "Martha Jones. Sweet, kind Martha Jones. You helped us to fly. You led us to salvation." Martha's hands shook and she quietly asked who it was. "The skies are made of diamonds, Martha Jones."

"No," she whispered, a hitch in her voice as tears shimmered in her eyes. "You can't be him." She could practically picture the boy as she'd last seen him, smiling and excited to go to Utopia. She understood now. Where these spheres had come from, and she wanted to scream. How could anyone let this happen?

"We share each other's memories," the head informed her as the tears spilled over. "You sent him to Utopia."

"What's it talking about?" Tom demanded, full of questions. "Martha, tell us. What's it mean? What are they?"

"They're us," Martha breathed, biting back a sob. "They're humans from the future." She wasn't sure why she was surprised. She should have seen it coming. "I should have known," she said, echoing her thoughts aloud. "The Master….he had the TARDIS, this time machine, but the only other place he could go was the end of the universe. So he found Utopia. The Utopia Project was the last hope, trying to find a way to escape the end of everything."

"There was no solution," the head croaked, "just the dark and the cold." The creature that had once been Creet giggled. "We made ourselves so pretty! But then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home."

"But...that's a paradox," Docherty said, confused, looking to Martha. She blinked at the young woman. "If they're the future of the human race, and they've come back to murder us - their ancestors - shouldn't it cancel them out? They shouldn't exist."

"He's got this paradox machine." Martha nodded to herself. That would explain it. That would explain everything about what was happening with the Toclafane.

"But then...what about us?" Tom demanded, suddenly concerned. "What are they shooting us for?"

They all felt chills run down their spines when the head began to laugh hysterically. "Because it's fun," it squealed. Its laughter was halted by a single gunshot. Tom lowered his gun with a cold look, though his hands shook. He pressed his lips together when no one said anything.

Docherty looked impressed as she took them by their arms and said, "Come. I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones." She began steering them through the small workshop she'd used, leaving the Toclafane behind them. No one disagreed; they all wanted to leave the creature behind them. Docherty lead them to a room at the back, the living quarters. Martha studied them, fully aware of what Docherty was trying to do. She settled them into some chairs after Martha had dropped the bag slung over her shoulders and then settled herself into one, sitting back. "The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?"

A spy indeed, Martha thought. "Just before I escaped, the Doctor told me something," she said. Not a lie. Those were always the best lies, she'd been told. Lies mixed in with the truth. "He and the Master have been coming to the earth for a very long time and they've been watched." She bent over, digging through her bag until she'd pulled a large black case out. "There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords in secret." She'd only heard of both because of the Doctor and Jack, she thought, prying the case open. "And they made this," she said, gesturing to the gun within. It looked unlike any other gun the pair had seen.

"All you need to do is get close," Tom said, frowning. "I could shoot the Master dead with my own gun...why do you need this one?"

"Not so easy to kill a Time Lord, because they can regenerate, literally bringing themselves back to life." Docherty grumbled about that and Martha smirked, patting the gun in the case. "Except for this. Four chemicals," she told them, tapping the three vials within. "Slotted into the gun, inject him. Kills a Time Lord permanently."

"Four chemicals?" Tom questioned, checking with her as he peered at the vials. "You've only got three."

Martha grimaced. "Still need the last one," she admitted. "The components of this gun were kept safe, scattered around the world. And I found them. San Diego, Budapest, Beijing, London. Now, there's just one more. It's in an old UNIT base, north London. I've found the access codes."

Tom vowed that he'd get her there. Martha's gaze flickered briefly over Docherty as Tom said, "We can't go across London in the dark...it's full of wild dogs. We'd be eaten alive. We can wait till the morning, then go with the medical convoy."

"You can spend the night here, if you like," Docherty offered and Martha noticed the shift in her stance. She was eager for them to stay so she could turn them in. Too bad, she thought as Tom denied the offer. Sighing, the professor admitted defeat and told them, shaking their hands, "Good luck."

Martha smiled at her, thanking her. She kissed Docherty on the cheek and Docherty studied her for a moment before asking, "Could you do it, Martha? Could you actually kill him?"

 _No_. Martha had never been one to kill. She'd been one for protecting people, and the Doctor had shown her other ways of doing that then just being a doctor, although she still intended to finish that, too. But to Docherty, she said evenly, "I've got no choice now."

"You might be many things," Docherty called after them as they left, "but you don't look like a killer to me!"

Martha thought about Docherty's comment the entire way to the quarters Tom decided would be safest for the time being. Slave quarters, he'd called them. She hated the term. Tom pulled his truck over some ways away and then led her quietly through some backways to a street of houses. Martha kept low, her eyes flashing as they slipped past a series of guards, the dark sky helping keep them hidden.

"This way," Tom whispered. He led her over to a specific house and silently knocked on the door. When there was movement on the other side, but no one opened the door, he called quietly, "Let me in! It's Milligan." The door opened and they bustled in, the door closing quietly behind them.

Martha wasn't surprised by the amount of people that had been gathered into the house. This was a common sight in areas like this, throughout the country and other countries. People could barely move. "Did you bring food?" a woman asked, no one seeming to pay much attention to Martha.

"Couldn't get any," Tom said apologetically. "And I'm starving."

"All we've got is water," the woman answered mournfully.

"I'm sorry," Martha said softly. She knew the reasoning behind these crowded houses. It was cheaper than building places for them to stay. The people, sometimes over one hundred, were shoved into one house like sardines.

A hand suddenly tugged at her arm. Martha looked down and found a small boy who reminded her of Creet studying her anxiously and with awe. "Are you Martha Jones?" he asked. When she confirmed it, whispers broke out among the people in the house. "Can you do it? Can you kill him? They said you can kill the Master...can you? Tell us you can do it. Please."

Commotion broke out within the house as Martha studied his face, horrified. A child should not have been praying that she could kill someone. He should have been in school, playing in the streets. Tom urged everyone to leave her alone as questions began to pop up, but Martha shook her head, smiling warmly at the boy. "No," she told Tom, "it's okay. They want me to talk...and I will."

That was what she'd done, all these months.

She was ready to continue doing so until the Master came himself.

Eager, people made way so that she could sit down and tell her story. Someone got her a drink of water, which she drained gratefully before beginning. She settled herself confidently on a stair before looking around at them all. "I travelled across the world," Martha told them all. "From the ruins of New York, to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went...I saw people, just like you, living as slaves." She wanted them to know that they weren't alone in their suffering.

"But if Martha Jones became a legend," she said, frowning suddenly when someone moved past the others to peer out a window, "then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the earth and his name is the Doctor." Not really, she knew, but what else could she tell them? "He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops, never stays, never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him." Her breath was ragged. She missed he and Jay desperately. "I know him. I love him. And I know what he can do."

He would stop this reign of terror, she trusted.

"It's him!" the woman who'd gone to the window suddenly gasped, and they all looked towards her. "Oh, my God, it's him! It's the Master! He's here!"

His voice was muffled by the closed door as he called for her, demanding she come out unless she wanted him to order the deaths of everyone around.

And so it began, Martha thought, standing. The woman gestured for them to hide her, but Martha shook her head. She knew what she needed to do. It was time to put the Doctor's plan into action, and she just hoped that Jay and Jack were up there, ready for it. Slowly, she removed her TARDIS key and pocketed it. People watched her in horror as Martha smiled at Tom softly before sliding out of the door.

"Oh, yes!" the Master cried, clapping his hands together in excitement. "Well done, good girl!" Martha ignored him, stopping in the middle of the street, a good dozen or so feet in front of him. The Master lost his smile, jabbing a finger in her direction. "Give me the bag." Martha began to take a step towards him, but he stopped her. "No, stay there, just throw it."

Martha did as she was told, throwing the pack to the ground in front of her. The Master pointed his sonic device at it and fired, watching as everything within was destroyed. Martha forced herself not to respond. Everything was fine, she told herself. This was supposed to happen.

"And now," the Master said, pointing the device towards her, "I think that when you die...the Doctor should be witness, hm?" He glanced to the sky, grinning. "Almost dawn, Martha, and planet Earth marches to war."

* * *

"Are you okay, Jay?" Tish asked.

Jay looked over, tapping her fingers irritably on her knee as she listened to the distant drums that were coming closer. _Tap-tap-tap-tap_ went each finger on her knee, pressed to her chest. "No," she admitted. He was coming again. To mock them, or something else. She wasn't sure. The TARDIS's song had changed a short while ago, still full of pain, but almost...hopeful, so perhaps it was a good thing?

Jay rolled her eyes at her own indecision.

It was some time before the Master appeared before them. Jay was suspicious when he didn't pay any of them much attention, only pointing to two guards. "You two, keep an eye on her," he said, nodding to Jay. "You two, with me," he added to another pair. "The rest of you, Miss Jones's family. I want these four in the bridge."

Something was most certainly happening, Jay thought as she, Tish, Francine, and Clive rose to their feet and were practically dragged out of their cell. They were pushed along paths, the Master disappearing with two guards further into the ship. When they reached the bridge, Jay looked to the Doctor, horrified by the cage he was imprisoned in. He met her gaze evenly.

For the second time, Jay felt her suspicions were confirmed.

Something was changing, happening, about to occur.

She couldn't tell if she was excited or not. This could be horrific - or fantastic. She supposed it depended on Martha.

Jay couldn't help the smile that flashed across her face when a few minutes later, Jack was led into the room. "Jack," she breathed, ignoring the snap of the guard that she remain where she was to lunge for him. She slammed into him, throwing her arms around his neck. She was impressed when they weren't stopped as Jack returned the hug tightly, grinning as he lifted her.

"Hey, Jaybird," he chirped playfully although he supported a wary look in his eyes.

They were shoved to the other side of the room, separate from the Jones family, but Jay didn't mind for the time being, keeping her hand in Jack's. She'd only seen Jack a handful of times. Less than she'd even seen the Doctor. Despite admittedly knowing very little about him, she thought of him as a good friend and had missed him just as much as she'd missed Martha.

"Something's changed," Jack said under his breath.

"I thought as much," she replied, biting her lip. She glanced at the Doctor and he watched them grimly as if knowing what they were talking about. He was expecting something, too.

The Master ducked into the bridge then. Lucy was with him, her body clad in an elegant dress that ended at her knees and swished as she strode beside him. The pair looked fancy enough that Jay knew he'd be making an announcement to the world. Jack slid a comforting arm around her as the Master waited until cameras were rolling to say, "Citizens of Earth...rejoice and observe."

Jay's stomach jolted as the doors to the room opened and in walked Martha, two guards on either side of her. " _Martha_ ," she breathed as Jack took a step forward, dragging Jay with him, and was only stopped when a gun turned on them. He stepped back, glaring at them. Martha offered them a faint smile, her dark eyes darting between them, the Doctor, and her family as the trio expressed their relief in simultaneous sighs.

"Your teleport device," the Master said once she was before him, his eyes glimmering. "In case you thought I'd forgotten." Martha calmly retrieved the vortex manipulator from her pocket and tossed it to the Master. He caught it neatly. "And now kneel."

Jay felt a stab of rage cross through her as Martha did as she was told, dropping gracefully to her knees. She was different, Jay thought, studying her friend - very different. And something told her that if they got through this alive...she'd no longer be traveling with the Doctor. It hurt her, would hurt the Doctor more, probably, but Jay found she understood.

"Down below," the Master told the cameras, cocking his head, "the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down!" He grinned, pointing at a screen that had been installed into a wall. A series of numbers began counting down from three minutes. "I could never resist a ticking clock…"

Jay pressed her lips together, gaze hardening when he spun around and sent a mocking grin in her direction. "Listen to those drums, Miss O'Connors," he said, and Jay winced when all eyes turned on her briefly. "Sounding rather loud, aren't they?"

Careful not to look at the Doctor, Jay said evenly, "I think they're rather quiet, actually. But that might be because you talk too much. You're drowning them out with that annoying voice of yours."

"Really?" Jack hissed in her ear, reminding her of the day everything had gone wrong. She'd snapped at the Master then, too, and he'd scolded her for it sharply much like the Doctor had during their encounters with Lazarus.

Not that she could back anything up with that statement. She was as helpless as could be.

But her words annoyed the Master, and she supposed that was a victory in itself as he spun around, sneering, "You won't be laughing when Martha Jones becomes my first blood in the war. Any last words?" he added to Martha. When she said nothing, he told the Doctor, "Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex." Jack stiffened beside Jay, arm tightening briefly, and she knew precisely who the Master meant. _Rose_. "This one's useless!"

Jay's hands curled into fists. She wanted nothing more than to punch him in that moment. Martha was _not_ useless.

And then, Martha laughed. The Master faltered, not having expected this, and Martha smirked at him. They changed places now, Martha looking smugly up at him while he stared down at her in wary confusion. "A _gun_?" she snickered. When he narrowed his eyes and confirmed that he'd destroyed it, she laughed harder. "Did you _really_ believe that there was a gun in four parts scattered across the world?"

A smile began to creep across Jay's face when the Master displayed his confusion openly and the Doctor said smugly, "As if I would ask her to kill."

The Master's uncertainty grew. He still tried to put up a proud, unintimidated front, however, as he said, "It doesn't matter, I've got you exactly where I want you." Except...he didn't, Jay thought, exchanging a quick look with Jack. Because Martha was right where she wanted to be. "You're still going to die."

"Don't you want to know?" Martha challenged. She slowly rose to her feet, and Jay thought she looked incredibly powerful in that moment, staring down a Time Lord who'd killed so many as he began to understand that something was off. "What I was doing, travelling the world? I told a story. That's it. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said and I went across the continents all on my own, and everywhere I went, I found people and I told them my story - our story," she added with a smile she threw at Jay. "I told them about the Doctor, and what and who he is, and then I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

They could see it on the Doctor's face. The anger, the fear. "Faith and hope?" he said, keeping up his front. "Is that all?"

"No, I also gave them an instruction. Just as the Doctor said." Her eyes flashed with excitement. "I told them that if everyone thought of one word, at one specific time…"

"Nothing will happen!" the Master shouted, taking a threatening step towards her. He was quickly growing panicked. "Is that your weapon? _Prayer_?"

"All it takes is one word, one thought," Jay told him and he snapped his head around to glare hatefully at her. She smirked at him. "If everyone thinks of the same thing...there's the Archangel Network, a telepathic field that bound the whole human race together. Every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time." Martha laughed, smiling excitedly at her, relieved that the others knew. "How are those drums now, Master?"

Jay turned her gaze to the countdown and he spun around to stare in horror as the number turned to zero.

Simply to herself, she murmured aloud, "Did you really think for an instant that you'd trap someone who's as good at running as the Doctor?"

"No," the Master shouted viciously as he whirled around and found that the Doctor had managed to break free of the cage that he'd been in. He no longer looked like that odd creature that he'd once been, Jay noticed with growing excitement. There was a glow to the Time Lord that had not ever been around him before.

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices," the Doctor informed the Master, voice growing stronger. He took a step forward, and then another. Each step that brought him closer seemed to bring him more strength, the white in his hair receding. "And there was one thing you couldn't do: stop them thinking. Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this."

The look on the master's face dragged laughter from Jack and Martha, who took advantage of the situation to throw herself at her family. She threw her arms around Francine, and Tish hugged both, the three women nearly sobbing in relief. Clive wrapped his arms around them as best as he could. Jay smiled at the sight widely, her face alight with relief. She squealed when Jack decided to show off his excitement with another tight hug, twirling her in the air.

The Master panicked. "No!" he cried, immediately pointing his sonic device at the Doctor. Jay flinched when the glowing space around him deflected it, and uttered a sound of relief. The Doctor didn't look the least bit bothered, even apologizing softly. Wild, the pointed it at Martha and her family. Martha threw herself in front of them, eyes wide, but a mere nod of the Doctor sent the device flying. "You can't do this!" the Master screamed in terror. "You can do this! It's not fair!"

Jay almost felt bad as the Doctor advanced on him. She hated the Master, and she knew that the Doctor was unlikely to hurt him, but the terror on his face as the Doctor chided gently that he hadn't listened to him previously...Jay understood fear like that. No one said a word as he crumbled to the ground, looking as if he was trying to curl into a ball and disappear. The Doctor ignored his efforts, kneeling beside him.

The heartbreak in his eyes was terrible to look at as he wrapped his arms gently around the Master and murmured, "I forgive you."

Of course he did, Jay thought, shaking her head a little. She didn't think anyone else would have been able to forgive the Doctor for what he'd done. She'd certainly never be able to.

"Captain," the Doctor said without looking up. Jack stepped away from Jay, ready. "The paradox machine."

"On it," Jack declared, smirking at the men who'd pointed their guns at him moments ago. He paused to snatch one of their guns, ordering that man to remain where he was. He pointed to the others. "You, you're with me. Jaybird, you, too!" He tore off without hesitation and Jay gave chase. The Doctor briefly watched them go, but was distracted by something. She heard him cry out in protest at something, followed by a shout from Martha.

She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew she had something else to worry about. Jack sent her a look and she took the lead, following the TARDIS's agonized song. She wondered when he'd realized she could hear her. Likely that first day, Jay thought.

She pushed her legs to shove her forward as fast as she could, enjoying the running. It'd been so long since she'd run like this. She knew Jack was enjoying it, too.

It was only a matter of minutes before they found the TARDIS and Jack hauled her back with an arm around her waist when she nearly rounded the corner and ran straight into the Toclafane protecting it. As it was, they were immediately on alert. Jack and the guards that had come along with them began to fire their weapons at the spheres, Jack nudging Jay back to safety.

"Can't get in," a guard told him. "We'd be slaughtered."

Jack winked at Jay and told the guard, "Happens to me a lot. Jay, stay here. If anything happens to her," he told the guards, "I'm holding you accountable." He stepped out of the cover they'd taken and started the long process of getting into the TARDIS. Jay winced as she listened to the gunfire, listened as her friend shouted in pain but fired off a few shots anyways.

And then, just as suddenly, there was a loud crack and she was thrown backwards.

Jay hit the ground hard and winced, crawling over even as she felt something try to hurl her backwards. She peeked around the corner and found the TARDIS doors open, Jack on his back on the grated TARDIS floor. He caught her eye and grinned; she laughed, not entirely sure what was happening but knowing it was good.

It was some time before it stopped and the second it did, Jack was on his feet and out the door. "Come on, Jay, the Doctor's going to need some help, I bet," he said, dragging her to her feet. She clung to him for a moment, unstable. Without waiting for the others to get to their feet, they tore off for the bridge again.

Jay was gasping painfully for breath by the time they got there, just in time for the doors to slide open and for the Master to dart through, nearly running right into Jack. He smirked as he caught him. "Whoa, big fella! Don't want to miss the party. Cuffs!" he shouted to the guards he'd left behind, and one tossed them to him.

As Jack cuffed the Master's hand behind his back, Jay gave the Doctor a wide smile and abandoned Jack to run over their friend. She threw her arms around the Doctor in a tight hug, and he hugged her back just as fiercely before releasing her as Jack led him over. Jay threw Martha a warm smile that was quickly returned as Jack asked, "So, what do we do with this one?"

The answers that left Martha's family made Jay frown. "We kill him," Clive said as Tish simultaneously spat icily, "We execute him."

"No," Jay said firmly and the Doctor glanced at her with a flicker of approval. "That's not a solution, that'd be lowering ourselves to his level. We're better than that. Better than _him._ " Those drums raced wildly through her head, almost faster than normal with the Master's panic.

"Oh, I think so," Francine said and earned several anxious looks when she suddenly lifted a gun. Martha gawked at her. Where had she even gotten the weapon?! "'Cause all those...things, they still happened because of him. I saw them."

The Master grinned at Francine, daring her to do it, but the Doctor hastily intervened, saying gently as he reached out and pushed the gun down, "Francine, you're better than him, just like Jay said." Francine searched his gaze and then nodded, throwing the gun aside. The Doctor smiled kindly and gave her a quick hug before pulling back to let Martha back her mother up. He turned to face the Master, frowning slightly. "You're my responsibility from now on. The only Time Lords left in existence."

"Yeah," Jack said pointedly, "but you can't trust him."

"No," the Doctor agreed quietly. "The only safe place for him will be the TARDIS."

Jay understood what he was saying in that moment, listening to the endless _bu-bu-bu-bumps_. The Master was ill. Just like humans could be, he had some kind of illness that needed tending to. He needed to be cared for - not imprisoned, his thoughts about everything pushed to the forefront of his mind. He needed caring people to show him what life was truly like, no matter what he'd done.

Movement in the corner of her eye had her glancing over. Her eyes snapped wide with alarm as Lucy straightened, bracing the gun in her hands. "No-" she began to shout, but Lucy's finger had already pulled the trigger.

The crack of the gunshot made everyone jump, but a cry of horror left the Doctor when the Master staggered and hit the ground, sputtering in surprise. Jack immediately went to deal with Lucy, taking the gun from her and glaring.

The Doctor threw himself to his knees beside the Master, horrified. "I didn't see her," he whispered as Jay hesitantly remained where she was, glancing over at Martha. Martha looked stunned, but Jay didn't miss the look of relief that was on her face. It hurt her. Martha had changed a _lot_ in the past year. And by no fault of her own.

"Always the women," the Master spat, blood flecking his lips. Jay hesitantly knelt beside him, eyeing the blood blooming and soaking the cloth covering his stomach. There would be no saving him, she realized, and the Master recognized that, too. "Dying in your arms," he said as the Doctor tried to help him sit up a little, ignoring Jay for the time being. She felt guilty after a moment; this was a moment for the two Time Lords, not for anyone else in that room, and it was for that reason that she rose again and retreated to stand beside Martha and her family. "Happy now?"

"Don't be stupid," the Doctor snapped, distressed. His voice echoed through the otherwise empty bridge. "You're not dying. It's only a bullet - just regenerate." The Master bluntly refused. "One little bullet. Come on."

" _No_ ," he said, smirking again, as if he was having the last laugh over the situation.

"Regenerate," the Doctor begged. Just for an instant, he'd not been alone anymore. He'd not been the last Time Lord, the only one left after eliminating their entire race. "Just regenerate. Please! Come on, please! We're the only two left! There's no one else. Regenerate!" His voice rose, tears falling when the Master continued to refuse. He nearly sobbed.

"How about that?" the Master breathed. "I win." He faltered, breathing ragged and wet-sounding. Jay stiffened when his gaze suddenly locked on her, even as he continued to address the Doctor. "Will it stop? The drumming...will it stop?"

 _Bu-bu-bu-bump. Bu-bu-bu-bump. Bu-bu-_

"Yes," Jay breathed just as it did and the Master stilled, eyes staring blankly. The Doctor gave a broken sound, rocking slightly as he gave an anguished sounding near-scream that no one had ever dreamed he'd make.

* * *

Jay happily gulped down the salty breeze as it washed over her face, Cardiff loud after the terrified silence from the _Valiance_. She briefly wondered where Lucy Saxon had gone. On one side of her was Jack, on the other the Doctor. He'd been quiet since they'd burned the Master's body the night prior, although he'd started returning to the bouncy Time Lord she knew him to be. She got the feeling it was a face he was putting on, to hide his pain from them, and decided that later, she'd offer her support if he needed it.

For now, she was content to play along.

She glanced away from the water before she and her friends when Martha spoke. "You know, they all knew you. Every single one of these people knew your name, and now they've all forgotten you." She looked saddened by it, but the Doctor was clearly content, not minding at all.

"Back to work," Jack commented, and the Doctor nodded.

"I really don't mind though." He did like saving these silly humans, who couldn't seem to help themselves. They needed his help and he was more than willing to provide it. He suddenly glanced at Jack. "Come with me." He'd gotten over that odd feeling Jack gave off long ago, had appreciated having him around now.

"I had plenty of time to think that past year. The Year That Never Was." That's what they'd started calling it, and it seemed like a good name for that odd year. "And I kept thinking about that team of mine, my friends. Like you've said a thousand times before, Doctor...responsibility."

"Defending the Earth," Jay chirped, earning a grin from Jack. "Can't argue with that, Doctor."

He agreed, reaching around Jay to shake the other man's hand. Jack grasped his hand, and then sputtered when he yanked Jack closer, nearly making him crash into Jay so he could use his sonic screwdriver on the vortex manipulator strapped to his wrist, home where Jack thought it belonged. "I can't have you walking around with a time-travelling teleport. You could go anywhere, twice. The second time to apologize!"

"What about me?" he asked quietly, not bothered. "Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?"

Jay threw a curious look at Martha and Martha returned it. The Doctor gave him a soft faint smile. "I'm sorry, Jack. You're an impossible thing and there's nothing I can do."

Jack merely laughed it off and gave Jay a quick bump with his shoulder before taking a step back. He gave them a mock salute that Martha and the Doctor returned. Jay merely giggled, giving him a warm smile. "Sir, ma'am, Jaybird...goodbye." He turned to leave, but stopped. He glanced back, suddenly frowning. "I keep wondering...what about aging? I can't die, but I keep getting older. The odd little gray hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

The Doctor shrugged, and Jack grinned, chuckling. "Guess I'll find out. Used to be a poster boy, you know, back when I was a kid on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place." He looked so fond of that place as he spoke of it and Jay guessed it was his hometown. "I was the first one to ever be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me." He turned and started walking away, waving as he called over his shoulder, "Face of Boe, they called me!"

Jay's smile vanished, replaced by stunned shock. When she slowly turned to look at the Doctor and Martha, their expressions matched hers. All of a sudden, her meeting with the Face of Boe made sense. _Jaybird, I knew you would come_. The nickname...the playful way it had been said, combined with wisdom of endless life and death…

"No," she breathed.

"Can't be," Martha agreed.

"No," the Doctor furthered, "definitely not. No." He squinted after Jack as he strode across the plaza beneath them, and then sputtered, looking over as Martha threw her head back and laughed. "No!"

"The Face of Boe," Martha said with another laugh. "Who would have thought?"

Jay got the feeling she'd not seen the last of Captain Jack Harkness.

* * *

A few hours after dropping off Jack found Jay curled on the surprisingly comfortable seat before the TARDIS console. Her eyes were half-closed as she dozed, dressed comfortably in a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but she kept them on the console, listening to the TARDIS cheerful hum.

God, she'd missed all of this.

She looked up entirely when the Doctor suddenly stepped inside, thoughtful. They were waiting on Martha, Jay knew. She could see it in his face. He knew what was coming, but was clearly hoping otherwise as he began to trail his fingers around various controls around the console, saying nothing.

After a few moments in which she watched him, Jay asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said simply, clearly not, "because I have to be."

"No one ever has to be okay," she murmured, unfolding her legs and patting the seat beside her. He reluctantly crossed the TARDIS control room, shrugging off his trenchcoat. He draped it over the back of the seat and settled beside her, comfortably propping his feet up on the console. Jay pouted, wishing she could do the same. Her legs were too short. Clearing her throat, she told him, "Doctor, he did bad things...but he was still important to you. And it's okay to be sad, you know. I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but if you decide eventually that you do…" She shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere."

Martha would leave, they both knew. They could feel it every time they looked at her. But Jay had no intentions of following suit. She loved this life and would live it as long as she could.

Something loosened in his shoulders. He said nothing, but she knew then that he'd worried that he'd be entirely alone again. Just for that, she silently vowed that she'd ensure that he was never alone in such a way. _Never_. Quietly, he said, "Thank you."

She bumped his shoulder gently and then added, "If...if you don't mind, I want you to promise me something." He glanced at her, curious and wary. "I have no doubt in my mind that you've traveled with a _lot_ of people. And...and I don't know if you've ever just...left someone behind against their will. I mean, I'm assuming you have, and I'm not saying anything against it because I'm sure you've had your reasons. But Doctor...if you're going to do that...can you promise me that you'd tell me at least? I don't want to turn around and just never know."

He looked shocked by her request. "I won't leave you somewhere," he protested, but she threw him a sharp look. The pair were quiet for a few moments. Jay's expression was hard. She'd not take no for an answer. Not on this. "...I promise," he finally said. "I won't just leave you somewhere and not say a word."

"Thank you," she murmured, and offered him a bright smile.

The doors suddenly opened and Martha ducked in. The Doctor peeked up and then hopped to his feet, cheerful. Jay knew immediately it wouldn't last and didn't bother to get up as he flounced around the TARDIS console, crying, "Right then! Off we go, the open road! There is a burst of star-fire right now, over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water! Fancy a look? Or...back in time!" He threw a lever, and Jay thought she could see his hands shake a little as he did so. "I don't know, Charles the second? Henry the eighth? I know, what about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie. I bet she's brilliant!"

Throughout his entire rant, Martha patiently waited. She watched with a sad look on her face until he finally stopped and looked at her, losing any semblance of bouncy cheerfulness. Instead, he took on a sad, accepting look and said, "Okay."

"I just can't," she said gently, knowing that despite everything the Doctor was, everything he had been...he was fragile when it came to things like this. "Spent all these years training to be a doctor, and now I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet, slaughtered. They're devastated. I can't leave them."

"Of course not," he admitted softly and then smiled warmly at her as he stepped closer. "Thank you." There was so much in those words, and Jay rose to her feet, ready to say goodbye herself. She'd miss Martha dearly, she realized, eyes filling with tears. "Martha Jones, you saved the word." He wrapped her up in a tight hug, and she returned it, pressing her face to his shoulder before pulling back.

"Yeah, I did," she said, flashing the Doctor a quick smile. "I spent a lot of time thinking I was second best while I was with you, Doctor, but you know what? I'm _damn_ good." She turned to Jay and wrapped her arms around her. Jay returned the hug with a soft grieving sound, burying her face in Martha's shoulder. "Stay with him," Martha said softly in her ear.

"I will," Jay said back just as quietly and pulled away. "You worry about your family, Martha. We'll be okay."

"Right then." Martha took a shaken breath and then turned to leave. She'd almost made it to the doors when she suddenly stopped and dug in her pocket. The Doctor almost dropped what she threw to him after pulling it out. He blinked at the phone she'd thrown at him. "Keep that," she said sharply. "I'm not traveling, but you're still my friends. And if that rings... _when_ that rings...you better come running. Got it?"

"Got it," Jay echoed, and the Doctor nodded.

"I'll see you again," she promised them, giving them pointed looks. And then Martha was gone, the door of the TARDIS shutting behind her in a final way.

There was a moment of silence as the Doctor studied the door. And then he began to pace around the console, tucking the phone into his pocket. Jay trailed after him, taking up a stance so that she was leaning against the console. "So where are we going?" she said casually as he flipped a switch, the TARDIS humming soothingly in her ears.

He glanced at her, surprised. "What?"

She wiggled her eyebrows, determined to distract him from the guilt he clearly felt over everything that he'd done to Martha. "You mentioned something about star-fire? That sounds amazing."

She was relieved when the Doctor's gaze lit with relieved excitement. "Meta Sigmafolio!" he declared, and she waved at him, indicating that she'd meant that. "The skies are fantastic, one of the prettiest in my opinion."

"Then what are we waiting for?" she demanded. "Let's go!"

The Doctor looked much more like his usual self as he grinned and threw a lever - only for a loud blaring horn to suddenly fill their ears. Jay screamed as something hit the TARDIS hard enough to send them both tumbling to the floor, dust flying and nearly blinding them.

Jay winced, rubbing her head as she lifted her head. "Jay?" the Doctor called. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she wheezed. "You?"

"Yes." He shook his head to clear it and then climbed to his feet, turning to see what had hit them. "What?" he cried and Jay snapped her head around after staggering to her feet to see what he was so surprised about. Her own jaw dropped.

The bow of a ship protruded through the TARDIS wall. Wood and simple rubble decorated the floor of the irritated TARDIS. Slowly, Jay spun in a circle and found a red and white life preserver that she immediately reached over and picked up. The Doctor stumbled around the console to look at it with her. The letters printed across it made them both frown.

 _TITANIC._

* * *

 _I pumped this chapter out in just days and although I wasn't excited to write it, I think it turned out well. The Master wasn't shown interacting often with Jay, but during episodes in which Ten regenerates...he won't forget that Jay heard the drums, too. ;)_

 _Initially, I was going to write a chapter covering the year...but I needed to push past this block I've had. I chose to just put out this chapter so I can focus on things I want to write. I'll be doing an original chapter after the one involving the_ Titanic _and Astrid, and then...off to Donna! From here on out, we'll have more original chapters that I'm incredibly excited to write._

 _Thanks to the loveliest reviewers (bored411 and m!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	15. Voyage of the Damned

"What the hell is going on?" Jay demanded as the Doctor whirled away and bolted for the console. He whirled around like a cyclone, switching and turning and twisting and flipping until finally, the ship was pushed free of the TARDIS. The wall closed back up and Jay listened to the familiar sound of the ship landing securely. The TARDIS hummed as Jay strode across the control room, carefully brushing her fingers over the wall, as if making sure it was okay.

"I'm not sure," the Doctor admitted, worried. It wasn't every day that the _Titanic_ managed to slam through the side of the TARDIS. He really needed to get the shields fixed. They were still a little frazzled thanks to the Master's use of the ship as a paradox machine.

As soon as he was sure they'd be safe, the Doctor briskly strode for the doors. Jay bustled after him, not wanting to be left behind. He stepped out and frowned, warning her back for a moment since the closet the TARDIS had materialized in was rather small. He checked the TARDIS's side, running his hand over the ancient wood, and then stepped out of the closet. Jay hovered in the entrance, waiting as he scanned the space outside the closet.

When he stepped further out, brushing himself free of dust, Jay stepped after him, copying his actions. "What are _those_?" she whispered to him, making sure to stick close as he strode slowly through a room that held walls made of panelled wood and held various potted palms decorated with a variety of balls. It was a large room, full of people dressed in evening gowns and suits as a live band played a song in the corner. It sounded vaguely familiar.

The Doctor looked at her in surprise when he realized she'd pointed to the decorations. "Christmas decorations. Have you never seen Christmas decorations?"

Jay shrugged. "Not really. Christmas was always about how nice the parties could be so that Father would get more business. We had a tree in the corner, but the rest...is it really Christmas? I didn't think it was anywhere near Christmas time." She paused. "Right. Time travel. Still surprises me sometimes."

The Doctor chuckled and then eyed a pair of robotic, golden angels that moved in a very mechanical way. The Doctor moved Jay aside, eyeing them. "Robots," he told her before grabbing her shoulders and steering her over to a window, just as a voice made an announcement over an intercom.

 _"Attention to all passengers. The_ Titanic _is now in orbit above Sol three, also known as Earth. Population: human. Ladies and gentlemen...welcome to Christmas."_

"Wow," Jay breathed, taking in the starry skies around them. "Space? I thought the _Titanic_ was a ship in the ocean...although I suppose they would have named this ship after the original, right?" The Doctor furrowed his brow, curious as to why a ship would be named after a ship like the _Titanic_. Bad luck, some would say. Jay bounced on the balls of her feet and looked to him with wide blue eyes. "Can we look around?"

He winked, offering her a small grin. "Of course," he said. "We'll need a wardrobe change first though." Jay took a quick look at the other finely dressed attendees and moaned.

She hated evening dress.

* * *

Jay grumbled as she stepped out of the TARDIS and back out of the storage closet to join the waiting Doctor outside. "This isn't good," she grumbled, fixing the midnight blue dress she'd put on. The lace hugged her throat, feeling as if was going to choke her. She was pleased with the height boost the heels had given her though. She was a few inches taller than normal. "The last time we dressed up, I nearly fell down a giant clock tower after being chased by that bastard Lazarus."

"Language," he chided almost playfully as he fixed his bowtie. "And it'll be fine. Come on, let's go enjoy the party." He offered his arm and Jay slipped her arm into his without hesitation, furrowing her brow a little as they started forward, intent on mingling with the others on the ship. There were a few aliens, Jay noticed, though she was entirely fine with the sight of all of them and none of them seemed to pay her much attention in return.

Jay was content to not do anything but watch for a short while, but her mood darkened a little with sadness when she turned to tell Martha something only to remember that Martha was no longer there. The Doctor noticed immediately and proceeded to drag her towards where a few people were dancing, rambling on about the origins of the music that was being played by the live band and singer. Jay hid a small smile, grateful for the attempts, and even happier that he didn't try to coax her into dancing herself. She was still a little tired despite the few hours of rest. The aftermath of the Year That Never Was would stick with her for some time, she expected.

But it was still enjoyable. Jay found herself smiling as they watched others have fun dancing. When they grew bored with that, the Doctor whisked her over to a large expanse of decorations, pointing out certain ones and explaining the origins of them. She was delighted with the Christmas wreaths, her eyes dancing as she took in the beautiful sight of them. When she expressed her interest in them, the Doctor went into a new rant about wreaths, mentioning different kinds and what they'd originally been for.

When that was done, they decided to sneak past a table of food. The Doctor was pleased with the nibbles and whisked away a platter for them to share, leading Jay directly to a robotic angel to ask questions as they ate a few pieces of food. "Evening," the Doctor said, pushing the remaining food into Jay's hand. She simply kept eating, liking the taste. "Passenger fifty-seven and fifty-eight, terrible memories. Remind us. You would be…?"

The robotic angel's voice was clear and calm, almost pleasant although it was unnatural. "Information: Heavenly Host supplying tourist information." Jay wrinkled her nose thoughtfully. She'd never heard of that before. She left the Doctor briefly to put the platter aside before returning just as the Host answered his next question. "Information: the _Titanic_ is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures."

Jay arched a brow. She wasn't aware that her planet's cultures were thought of as primitive. "And just who thought of the name?" she asked curiously. Even in her time the _Titanic_ was famous, the stories of it known as a common title among households. There had been attempts at recreating it, although Jay found herself believing the name to be cursed. Every single one had sank.

"Information: it was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth," the Host informed her. Jay's eyebrows rose higher. Had they not been informed why it was famous. "All designations are chosen by Mr. Max Capricorn, president of Max...Max...Max…" The Host suddenly began to stutter, voice lifting in pitch until it nearly hurt Jay's ears. She flinched, putting her hands over her ears and the Doctor dug in his pocket for his sonic screwdriver, curious about what was going on with the strange robot. Before he could so much as try anything, however, three men rushed over, eyes wide.

"Sir, we can handle this," one said firmly to the Doctor, a look in his eyes making the Doctor surrender the control of the situation. He put his sonic screwdriver away and stepped back, hands up. Jay kept close, her lips parted as she watched. "Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, sir. Merry Christmas." A quick press of a button on the back of the Host's neck had it snapping upright. The robot toppled to the side and one of the men caught it with ease. Between the three of them, they quickly took it away.

"That...was interesting," Jay murmured, her stomach turning oddly. She shouldn't have eaten so much rich food that quickly, even if they'd only been nibbles. The Doctor glanced at her and she met his gaze. "You don't think it's something to worry about, right?"

"Nah," the Doctor denied, shaking his head. "It'll be fine. Come on, let's look around some more…"

"I've never heard of that name," Jay said as they strode through the room, mutually agreeing that both could use glasses of water after their snacks. "Max Capricorn. Have you?"

"It rings a bell," the Doctor admitted, "but nothing too big. I think it's fine."

"When you think things are fine, they're generally not," she grumbled.

The Doctor huffed softly. "You're very distrustful today," he told her and she lifted her brows, silently questioning if he might have any reason to think otherwise. A frown appeared on his face, a touch of hurt there, and she grimaced, feeling a little bad.

She bumped him gently with her shoulder. "I woke up yesterday morning thinking the Master was going to murder everyone and everything I like and care for, Doctor," she said quietly, her tone soft. She didn't want him to think she blamed him for anything. "None of it was your fault. But...it was still hard. I had to watch every move I made for a year and one day and it wears on you. One wrong word to the wrong person, and we were tormented. And none of it's your fault, and I trust you entirely, but..."

The Doctor said nothing in response, but the hurt had disappeared. Jay shook her head. For someone who carried the weight of the world by his own choice and regularly faced danger...sometimes he was a bit silly, she thought, rolling her eyes.

Jay jumped when there was a loud crash and they both looked back in time to see a woman apologizing desperately to a furious man with a phone held away from his ear. He was glaring angrily at a young blonde woman in a uniform that signaled her as a waitress. She'd turned scarlet from embarrassment. She was on her knees, trying to pick up glass that she'd broken after bumping into the man. She apologized faintly and the man spat at her before turning and walking off, snarling aloud, "Staffed by idiots! No wonder Max Capricorn is going down the drain…"

The Doctor glared after him and then turned to Jay, but Jay was already walking over. She carefully knelt beside the other woman, smiling as she said, "Be careful, you'll cut your fingers." She carefully began helping her pick up the shattered glass. The Doctor knelt beside them, helping, too.

"Thank you, ma'am, sir," she said, flustered, "I can manage-"

"Never said you couldn't," the Doctor told her warmly. "I'm the Doctor, by the way."

"Astrid, sir," she said shyly, grimacing at the glass on the platter. "Astrid Peth."

"Jay O'Connors," Jay said, "and it's a pleasure to meet you, Astrid." She climbed to her feet, offering a hand to help Astrid to her feet. Astrid took it, and the Doctor grabbed the platter of broken glass. "Merry Christmas, Astrid," she added, looking to the Doctor. He nodded encouragingly.

Astrid looked startled. "Merry Christmas, ma'am, sir," she replied politely, offering a hesitant smile. The Doctor corrected her, telling her to call him "Doctor" and Jay by her name, and Astrid made a small nod to show that she'd acknowledged their request. Jay smiled warmly at her, finding that she liked Astrid as she asked, "You enjoying the cruise?"

"Yeah, I suppose," the Doctor began to say, and Jay warningly glared at him. He closed his mouth, startled.

Astrid giggled as Jay said, "Some of us are, although it looks like some of the other customers are a tad bit rude...what about you, Astrid? You're a long way from home. Planet…?" She looked to the Doctor for help now, unsure that she was remembering the name properly.

"Sto," he finished for her.

"It doesn't feel that different. I spent three years working at a spaceport diner, traveled all the way here...and I'm still waiting on tables." Astrid suddenly frowned, her pretty dark eyes flashing with annoyance. She turned and started for a series of tables near a massive series of windows that looked out at the stars. Jay and the Doctor trailed after her, watching as she put the platter of broken glass down and began to clear off a table.

"No shore leave?" the Doctor asked, pushing his hands into his pockets. His dark eyes were thoughtful, watching her, and Jay hid a smile, turning her eyes to the stars. Her gaze filled with awe at the expanse of space. Despite her time with the Doctor, she couldn't recall ever seeing such a thing. She abandoned the conversation as Astrid spoke to rest her fingers lightly against the glass, studying the beautiful lights and the planet Earth below.

"We're not allowed," Astrid admitted as she worked, glancing up. She noticed Jay by the window and faltered, studying her. Finally, she simply gave up and went to stand beside her, looking down at the planet mournfully. "They can't afford the insurance. I wish I could though. I'd love to try it, just once." She looked briefly at Jay and then back to the beauty before them. "I've never stood on another world. I used to watch the ships heading off to the stars and I always dreamed of...well, it sounds daft."

Jay shook her head, throwing her a gentle smile. "It's not daft at all, Astrid. You dreamed of more. Of other skies, suns, air. _Life_. I know what that's like. Why stand still when there's all that life out there?" She winked at Astrid and then turned to the Doctor, startled to find him watching them both from a few steps away. He looked troubled, although he pushed a smile onto his face when Jay turned to look at him, and quickly joined them.

"You travel?" Astrid asked them as the Doctor took up a position on her other side. Jay hoped that the Doctor would perhaps offer the other woman a chance at stepping on the planet below. She deserved it.

"All the time," the Doctor said comfortably. "Just for fun, just like we plan. Well," he said under his breath, correcting himself when Jay snorted loudly. "Never quite works out that the way."

"I'd say," Jay muttered. She grinned at Astrid. "We're broke as can be, mind you, so we kind of just hop aboard other ships."

"You're kidding," Astrid said, gaping at them and their rather expensive looking outfits. When the Doctor playfully smirked at her, she gasped, laughing, "No! How did you get on board?"

The Doctor liked her enough to be truthful, and Jay noticed it immediately. "It was an accident. I've got this...ship thing. I was rebuilding her and left the defenses down, and then bumped into the _Titanic._ Saw there was a bit of party and thought, 'Why not?'"

A smile danced across Astrid's lips as she looked between the amused Jay and grinning Doctor. "I should report you," she said teasingly, her gaze alight with relief that she'd found a pair of people who didn't seem inclined to be rude. When the Doctor gave her a challenging look, she winked. "I'll get you a drink. On the house."

She turned and strode away and Jay wrapped her arms around herself with an affectionate look that she threw after Astrid. When Astrid was gone, Jay looked back to the space outside. "You know," she said quietly as the Doctor moved closer, pushing his hands further into his pockets and looking out at the stars with her. "We're always running around. I love it, don't get me wrong, and I know we help people...and I suppose there have been a few places you've taken Martha and I that were gorgeous and peaceful...but we've never looked at the stars like this before." Jay promised and then tightened her arms around herself. "Martha would really like this. I miss her." They'd not been away from her for long, likely less than three hours but it still hurt that she wasn't there.

"We'll make sure to look at the stars more often," the Doctor promised gently, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was somewhat worried she'd want to leave, too, despite what she'd said earlier, and was reassured when after a short few moments, she turned to him and smiled broadly at him. Her eyes danced when he playfully offered his arm as loud laughter came from the nearby banquet area. "Should we go see what everyone thinks is so funny?"

"I think we should," Jay agreed, taking his arm gracefully. "I doubt it'll be anything nice with the way the majority of these people seem to be. But maybe we can make someone else feel better." She'd enjoyed their talk with Astrid, had liked making her feel better about herself. There were likely others on this ship who could use words of kindness.

Her thoughts were proven correct when the Doctor and Jay followed the source of the laughter and found a group of clearly wealthy passengers jabbing their fingers at a large couple seated in a set of chairs at a table and mocking their weight. Both looked hurt, though they were clearly doing their best to hide their emotions. Jay scowled at the rich. "God," she hissed under her breath, disgusted, "I can't believe I was ever a member of societies like that."

"From what you've said and done," the Doctor pointed out, frowning in agreement at those who were laughing. "You weren't a part of that. Come on." He led the way over to the otherwise empty table and didn't hesitate to slip into a chair. Jay hesitated before pulling out the last chair available.

"Something's tickled them," the Doctor commented when the pair looked at them in surprise. Jay thought both looked very cheerful despite the fact that they were being mocked. The woman's bouncy happiness was practically radiating off of her, her curly dark hair seeming to vibrate while her dark-skinned husband looked at her with a fondness that made Jay smile.

"They told us it was fancy dress," the woman said, furrowing her brow. "Very funny," she added, throwing a small glare over her shoulder. "I'm sure."

"They're just pickin' on us because we haven't paid," the man explained to Jay and the Doctor, smiling hesitantly at them. There was clear pride in him as he added, "We won our tickets in a competition."

"Congratulations." Jay leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table and putting her chin in her palms. She sent the wealthy people who sneered at them a glare, her gaze icy. "How'd you manage it?"

"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in _By the Light of the Asteroid_ ," the woman boasted. She beamed, proud of herself. "It was marvelous...I couldn't believe that I won them."

The man snorted in disgust when the crowd laughed a third time, making motions that were rude enough for Jay to want to throw a bowl of punch at them all. "Not good enough for that lot, of course. They think we should be in steerage."

The Doctor thought that over and then slid a hand into his suit jacket, smirking slyly at Jay. She gave him a warning look that he returned with an innocent one. "Can't have that, can we?" he said calmly as he casually tucked the sonic screwdriver carefully under his arm, copying Jay's motions and resting his chin in his palm. He didn't bother to look as he pressed the button on the sonic screwdriver. Jay winced when the bottle of champagne that had rested on the table beside the group suddenly popped the cork, spraying foaming champagne all over those beside it. They screamed and shouted, and the couple burst out laughing. Jay shook her head, trying to hide her smile. It was karma, she thought, but still somewhat wrong.

The woman smiled at the Doctor. "Did you…?" He wiggled his eyebrows as he slowly put his sonic screwdriver away. "We like you," she declared to the pair and Jay smiled, pleased. She liked them, too.

"I'm Morvin van Hoff," the man said, offering his hand to the Doctor, who shook it. He then shook Jay's hand with a firm but gentle grip. "This is my good woman, Foon."

"Hello, Foon. Hello, Morvin." The Doctor shook Foon's hand, too, then sat back. "I'm the Doctor. And this is Jay."

Foon gifted Jay a kind smile and then admitted, "I'm gonna need a doctor by the time I'm finished with this buffet. Have a buffalo wing." She waved to the food before them. "They must be enormous, these buffalo! So many wings…"

Jay's lips quirked as she bit back giggles, picturing a buffalo with wings. They'd not existed in her time, having gone extinct several decades prior despite the effort to bring them back. But she'd seen images of them, and she knew that they did in fact not have any wings at all. She took a buffalo wing at the Doctor's nod and was about to take a bite when a voice filled the air.

 _"Attention, please!"_ a voice called through the intercom. _"Shore leave tickets red six-seven now activated. Red six-seven."_

Foon fished in her purse and produced a pair of tickets. "That's us!" she declared. She stood with Morvin, who put an arm around Foon. Both paused to look at the startled two that had sat with them. "Are you red six-seven?"

"Might as well be," the Doctor said, exchanging a quick curious look with Jay. She shrugged, eager to see what all of this would be about. She climbed to her feet, carefully balanced in her heels and waved for Foon and Morvin to lead the way. She followed them closely with the Doctor, grinning with an amused smile when Morvin called that they'd be visiting Earth.

"This ought to be interesting," Jay whispered to the Doctor as they joined the group that would be apparently visiting Earth. An older man wearing a tweed coat was holding a sign over his head, she noticed, shouting for people with red six-sevens to come over as quickly as they could.

"Doctor!" Jay suddenly gasped, pointing, and he followed her gaze. Astrid was approaching, her hands holding a tray that held two glasses. "Can we-"

"Of course." He tossed her something that Jay nimbly caught. She recognized it immediately. _Psychic paper_. "I'll get her, you get us those bracelets." He nodded at the bracelets that others in the group were grabbing. He rushed off, quick to grab Astrid, and Jay approached the man gathering them all with a smile.

"Red six-seven," she said, holding up the psychic paper so that he could look. "Plus two!"

The man nodded to confirm that they could go, and told her, "Quickly, ma'am, please take three teleport bracelets if you would."

"Got it." Jay smiled gratefully and retrieved three bracelets before sliding through the group to join the Doctor and Astrid at the back. Astrid was protesting that she'd get fired, but the Doctor silenced her with a simple phrase: "Brand new skies."

Astrid clamped her mouth shut, nervous, and placed the bracelet on her wrist as the old man began to speak up. "To repeat," he called, and everyone fell quiet. "I am Mr. Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London in the country of U.K. ruled over by good King Wenceslas. Now, human beings worshipped the great god Santa Claus, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary. And every Christmas Eve, the people of U.K. go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for dinner, like savages!"

Jay's eyebrows rose as she listened and she glanced at the Doctor while others gasped. He returned her look with one of disbelief. Leaning in, she muttered, "Doctor, what year are we going down into?"

"The same year we were in," he murmured in response. "Just a few months along, I expect."

"Then am I correct in saying," she said slowly, aware that Astrid was curiously peering between them, listening intently to the conversation they were having. "That even two hundred years before my time, there is no cannibalization and the great god Santa Claus?"

"No, no, you're definitely right. Hold on. Excuse me!" The Doctor lifted his voice so that he was overheard over those around them, lifting his hand so that Mr. Copper would look at him. "Sorry, sorry, but...where did you get this information from?"

Mr. Copper faltered, although no one else seemed to notice. "Well, sir, I have a first class degree in Earthonomics…" He squared his shoulders. "Now, stand by-"

"And me!" a new voice suddenly squealed, and everyone in the group turned to look as a small alien with red skin and spikes on his head came sprinting over. "Red six-seven!"

Astrid cocked her head curiously at the sight of him, and Jay looked just as interested in the alien. The Doctor lifted his protests again as the alien quickly put his own teleportation bracelet on. "Um, but...hold on, hold on, what was your name?"

"Bannakaffalatta!" he said firmly.

"Okay, Bannakaffalatta," the Doctor said, addressing him. "But it's Christmas Eve down there! Late-night shopping, tons of people. You're going to cause a riot in the streets!"

Jay elbowed his side gently, hissing, "Doctor, you're being rude again!"

Before their conversation could continue, there was a flash as the teleport bracelets were activated and then they appeared quite suddenly in the middle of a street in London. It was quite empty, Jay noticed immediately, and the Doctor looked around in surprise as Mr. Copper, pleased, said, "Now, spending money. I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to buy trinkets or stockings, or the local delicacy, which is known as 'beef.' But don't stray too far, it could be dangerous! Any day now, they start boxing."

The Doctor peered around in absolute confusion, even as Astrid put a hand over her mouth, awed by the sight before her. The Doctor frowned as Jay smiled and asked her if she liked it. "It's beautiful," Astrid whispered.

"Really?" the Doctor said without looking at her, looking very displeased by the lack of people out and about. "I mean, it should be full! Busy! Something's wrong...and it's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful, and New Zealand…"

"Moon's quite lovely, too," Jay admitted before elbowing him again. He scowled at her, rubbing the spot. "Stop being rude. She likes it. Leave it be." She gestured for the Doctor to look at Astrid as she wandered a few steps forward. The Doctor focused and shook his head to clear it, realizing he'd been focusing on unimportant matters - although he _was_ concerned about just why it was so empty.

"It's a different planet...I'm standing on a different planet!" Astrid breathed, bouncing a little and smiling at the concrete beneath her feet. "And there's shops, real alien shops! Look!" She tipped her head back, shivering a little alongside an admittedly cold Jay. It was rather brisk outside and neither of them wore jackets. "You can't see the stars! Thank you," she added to the pair, and Jay gave her a warm smile. "Thank you!"

"No problem," Jay said, sincerely happy that Astrid was happy. She missed Martha dearly, wished she was there, too, but was grateful that she'd made someone else feel happy alongside the Doctor.

The Doctor grabbed their shoulders and began to steer them across the street to where there was a booth that held an old man, bundled up in winter clothing as he read a newspaper, waiting for people to come by. He was the only person out, Jay realized, other than them.

"Hello there!" the Doctor cried, scaring the daylights out of the poor old man. His hair was white as the snow that was falling softly, his eyes kind with a hint of surprise at the sight of them. "Sorry, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?"

"They're _scared_ ," the man cried, startled that they'd not know any better.

"Hi, excuse me," Jay said, cutting in before the Doctor could insult someone else. She offered him a kind smile that the old man returned. "May I ask what they're scared _of_?"

"Where have you been living, my dear? London at Christmas? Not safe, is it?" The old man shook his head, in disbelief with their silly lack of knowledge regarding the matter. He leaned forward a little, gesturing to the sky. "It's them, up above! Look, Christmas before last, we had that big bloody spaceship, with everyone standing on a roof. And then last year, that Christmas star electrocuting all over the place...draining the Thames…"

"This place is amazing," Astrid whispered to Jay, who was eyeing the Doctor suspiciously. There was a guilty look on his face. When he saw Jay giving him the look, he winced. He'd definitely had something to do with it.

"This year," the man continued, not noticing them speaking among themselves, "Lord knows what! So everybody's gone to the country. All except me...and Her Majesty," he added when the TV in the booth with him suddenly began blaring information. The Doctor peered intently at the TV as a newscaster declared that the queen of the country would be staying in Buckingham Palace over Christmas to show that there was nothing to fear. "God bless her!" the man cried, saluting the TV. "We stand vigil!"

Jay found that she quite liked the old man. He was a fierce person, who was very passionate about the matter. He was rather adorable, she thought as the Doctor leaned in with a wink. "Between you and me, I think she's got it right. Far as we know, this year, nothing to-"

Between one blink and the next, the Doctor was interrupted by the flash of the teleport.

The old man collapsed back into his chair, stunned. "Then again…" he whispered, and hoped that nothing bad would happen that upcoming Christmas Day.

* * *

The first thing the Doctor said as they appeared back aboard the _Titanic_ was "I was in mid-sentence!" Jay drew a hand down her face, sighing heavily, and Mr. Copper looked puzzled as he gathered their bracelets. Jay gratefully gave hers over.

A man who introduced himself as the chief steward immediately lifted his voice, approaching the group as if he'd been expecting them. "Apologies, ladies and gentlemen - Bannakaffalatta," he added quickly as he looked at the small alien. "We seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation. If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruise Liners, free drinks will be provided." He smiled faintly and then left them to disperse.

Jay furrowed her brow as Astrid gave her a quick hug, not at all bothered. "Thank you," Astrid whispered.

Jay smiled and hugged her back quickly. "No problem. You better get back to work," she added, watching as the Doctor strode after the chief steward. She needed to hurry or risk being left behind, she supposed. She bid Astrid farewell, and then hurried after him. She reached the Doctor just as the chief steward left. "Anything interesting?"

"He didn't say, but something's off," the Doctor said slowly, mistrustful of the situation.

Jay sighed, glaring down at her heels. Why did things happen when they just tried to enjoy themselves? "Trouble, I suppose?"

"Perhaps." The Doctor narrowed his eyes after the chief steward and then strode towards the nearest screen displaying Max Capricorn's face on it. He perched his black glasses upon his nose and glanced around, waving for Jay to keep an eye out as he worked. She rolled her eyes and did as he said as he buzzed his sonic screwdriver at the screen. Finally, Max's face disappeared, and the images were replaced by a screen displaying a blue-print like image of the _Titanic_.

Jay immediately perked up, her eyes narrowing as she took in the image. She didn't know much regarding anything, although she was proud that she'd been doing better regarding such things in the past few months, but she knew space ships, and she prided herself on it. "The shields are offline," she said suddenly, glancing at him. She pointed at the image. "See?"

"That's not good," the Doctor said, thinking about how the ship had slammed through his own ship's walls because of a lack of shields. He grimaced and then frowned at the sight of something blinking off to the side. He studied it for a moment and then tore off at a jog for the windows. Jay gathered her dress in her hand and hurried after him, kicking off her heels as she went. She didn't bother pausing to pick the up. Wishing she'd not worn them, she peered outside with him and then stared.

"Oh, _no_ ," she whispered as the Doctor bolted for the nearest intercom system, not caring if he was seen. He used the sonic screwdriver to hack into the systems, speaking as soon as he was sure he'd connected. "Is that the bridge? I need to talk to the captain. You've got a meteoroid storm coming in west zero by north two."

The captain was anything but pleased. _"Who is this?"_

"Never mind that," the Doctor said hastily as Jay rejoined him, already breathing heavily from the running back and forth. He passed her his sonic screwdriver for safekeeping when he noticed a pair of men starting to approach. "Your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and you need those shields!"

 _"You have no authorization,"_ the captain snapped, angry. _"You will clear the comms at once, sir!"_

"Just look starboard!" the Doctor cried in response and then whirled around when Jay suddenly snapped at one of the men to let go of her. He'd grabbed the young woman's wrist as the other approached the Doctor. The Doctor recognized him immediately as the chief steward had approached them only moments prior.

"Come with me, sir," the chief steward said grimly, grabbing his arm. The other man released Jay in favor of helping him when the Doctor angrily shrugged him off. They grabbed his arms and forced him forward. Jay nervously followed, demanding they let him go, and the Doctor's voice lifted in his determination to get people aware of what was happening. "You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down!"

"Enough," he was told.

The Doctor turned his head back to make sure Jay was still there, not wanting to lose her among the dozens of people aboard the ship when he knew they were very much in danger, only to find her gone. He desperately tried to pry himself around to look and felt a flash of pride when her voice filled the air, echoing through the microphone on the stage as she interrupted the band to say fiercely, "Listen up! There's an emergency! There's a - ouch, let go of me!" she cried as a Host suddenly appeared and grabbed her, dragging her away from the stage.

The Host forced her after where the stewards were taking the Doctor, and the Doctor was furious as the stewards sent it back to its work and took over, pushing them both forward against their will. What was going on that they weren't listening to him? "Look out the windows!" he shouted. "If you don't believe me," he added to the chief steward, "check the shields yourself!"

"Sir!" a voice suddenly called, and they all paused. Astrid had come after them, her face lined with anxious concern. "I can vouch for them!"

"Astrid," Jay said happily. Her eyes lit up when she saw that others had trailed after, too. Bannakaffalatta had followed, although Jay couldn't imagine why, as well as Morvin and Foon. Even Mr. Copper was there. All were chattering away about various reasons that the pair should be let go, although Mr. Copper was more focused on something regarding the teleports being down, and Jay felt a flash of warmth even as they were ignored. She was impressed at how far they followed, pushed into some maintenance corridors that made her shoulders tighten anxiously.

These were far too like those on the _Valiant_. She clenched her hands into fists, forcing herself to focus on the present situation. Jay's head was aching simply from the amount of shouting going on when another joined the party. The man who'd yelled at Astrid earlier in the evening came rushing down the tunnel, eyes wide as he shouted, "Oi! Steward! I'm telling you, the shields are down!"

He'd barely gotten his words out before, quite suddenly, the ship was slammed into by something none of them could see. Jay cried out, pain snapping through her head as she was thrown to the floor painfully along with the rest of them, the world tilting around them. The Doctor, grunting after landing hard on his back, crawled over to grab her hand, making sure she didn't go far as they were slammed into again, and then a third time. The tunnel nearly collapsed around them, a beam falling, and Jay cried out again when it nearly crushed her.

It was only when everything had stilled that the Doctor released her, slowly rising to his feet with his finger pressed to his lips to shush everyone there. Those he could see were clearly shaken. Even the man who'd been yelling at Astrid looked frightened. The ship groaned around them, metal creaking, and then settled. The Doctor waited until he was sure that everything was safe for the time being, and then reached down and grabbed Jay's arm gently, helping her up. "You all right?"

"Yeah," she breathed, swiping at some blood that had trickled from a gash in her forehead. She winced when it stung. "I'll be fine. Astrid, are you okay?" she added to the blonde as she staggered to her feet beside them.

"I think so," Astrid confirmed.

"Bad name for a ship. Either that or this suit is _really_ unlucky," the Doctor said, kneeling beside one of the stewards that had been pushing he and Jay through the maintenance tunnels. Jay went to check on Foon and Morvin, ensuring that they were okay.

Jay snorted, smiling faintly at Foon as she pulled her to her feet. "I'm going to say that it's likely a combination with a hint of extra on the suit." She grimaced as a voice filled the air, Max Capricorn's voice echoing "My name is Max." The Doctor went in search of the voice and Jay considered trailing after him like a lost duckling but decided to help Astrid tend to Mr. Copper, who had a cut similar to her own on his head.

The chief steward looked stunned by what had happened, but quickly stepped up to try and take control. Jay snorted; the Doctor would be the one in charge from here on out, simply because she doubted the others would listen to the steward after he'd failed to do as the Doctor said. "Everyone - ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta," he stammered, "I must apologize. We seem to have had a small collision."

Everyone responded loudly and Jay rolled her eyes, smiling gently at Astrid in approval as she asked Mr. Copper, "Are you all right?"

The poor man was too shocked to respond, simply looking at her as Astrid dabbed at the cut with her apron.

"Quiet!" the chief steward suddenly shouted, and everyone finally fell silent. "I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruise Liners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience. But first, I would point out that we are very much alive. She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship." He strode towards a hatch at the end of the ship now, calling over his shoulder, "If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the situation-"

The Doctor returned just as he gripped the handle of the hatch. His eyes snapped wide, and he began to shout, "Don't open it!" just as the chief steward did. Matching screams left Jay and Astrid when the man was suddenly sucked out into space. Astrid latched onto the piping beside her and grabbed Jay's arm when she lunged, but missed it. Jay clung to her arm desperately, wincing at the icy cold. She heard nothing but the roar of the vacuum until suddenly, the shield was replaced and they all slammed back into the ground.

"Oof!" Astrid gasped as she hit the ground hard again. Jay winced, head throbbing. This wasn't turning out to be a very good cruise, she thought blearily. She was going to kill the Doctor and burn that damn suit.

"Everyone all right?" the Doctor called as he pocketed his sonic screwdriver again, breathing hard. "Jay? Astrid?"

"We're fine!" Astrid informed him, turning her attentions onto Jay and dabbing at her cut with a new part of her apron. The Doctor studied them closely to make sure before moving on, asking each person in turn if they were okay. Finally, his attention turned onto the angry wealthy man.

"You, what was your name?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

"Rickston Slade," he said angrily. Jay thought he must be an incredibly angry person, and puffed up in anger as he said sharply, "And I'm fine. No thanks to that idiot!"

"The steward just _died_ ," Jay bit out with narrowed eyes.

"Then he's a dead idiot," Rickston said coldly.

"Jayden," the Doctor warned when Jay pushed Astrid away and shot to her feet, starting towards him. He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back towards Astrid, who'd stood with wide eyes. He gave Astrid a look, clearly putting her in charge of Jay for the unforseeable future. She nodded slightly, indicating that she would. The Doctor strode over to peer outside, and Jay sent Rickston a final glare before following him. Astrid trailed after them, her dark eyes nervous.

"What happened?" Jay asked as she peered outside with her friend. "Do you know why the shields were down?"

The Doctor glanced at her sadly, and then back out at the countless bodies that were floating in the space surrounding what remained of the _Titanic_. Jay inhaled sharply at the sight and when Astrid looked out, she gasped softly. "Oh, my God," she whispered. "How many dead?"

"We're alive," the Doctor told Astrid quietly, turning his attention on her entirely. "Just focus on that. I'll get you out of here, Astrid, I promise." When she continued to stare outside, terror filling her expression, he touched her arm. "Look at me," he ordered. When she did, he said gently, "I promise you. Now," he continued when she nodded slowly, "if we can get to the other room, I've got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get on board-"

"Um, Doctor," Jay said faintly, pointing through the glass. "The TARDIS. It's, err, it's floating right towards Earth." The Doctor groaned as he looked outside at the blue box that was slowly drifting away, locked onto the planet below. Jay scowled. Just their luck. Of course the TARDIS was off to Earth without them.

Astrid cocked her head, arching a brow. " _That's_ a spaceship? It's a bit small."

"Don't knock it!" the Doctor cried, greatly insulted by the comment about his TARDIS. Jay giggled despite the severity of their situation. He whirled away. "No point in worrying about things we can't do anything about. Let me see if anyone else is alive on the ship. Astrid, keep Jay away from Rickston."

"Hey," Jay protested, but Astrid smiled hesitantly at him. "Of course," she agreed readily, willing to keep an eye on Jay for him.

Jay grumbled as the Doctor went back towards the intercom systems that he'd inspected previously. He had to fidget with them for a few moments, use the sonic screwdriver - which he was extremely grateful to still have - on the system to get it to work. When it was useable, he leaned in and said, "Deck twenty-two to the bridge. Deck twenty-two to the bridge. Is there anyone there?"

Silence filled his ears for a few moments. The Doctor was beginning to worry that no one else was alive up near the controls when a voice groaned, _"This is the bridge."_

That wasn't the captain who'd yelled at him, he noticed immediately, puzzled. "Hello, sailor," he greeted cheerfully, practically hearing the youth of the man on the other end. He was young. Far too young to be in charge of such a situation. "Good to hear you. What's the situation up there?"

 _"We've got air; the oxygen field is holding. But the captain...he's dead."_ His voice broke, a sob escaping him. _"He did it, I watched while he took down the shields . There was nothing I could do. I tried, I really did try-"_

Sympathy for the man filled the Doctor. "All right," he said softly, "just stay calm. Tell me your name. What's your name?"

 _"Midshipman Frame."_

"Good. Nice to meet you, sir. What's the state of the engines?" Frame told him to hold on and then groaned painfully as he went to check. "Have you been injured?" the Doctor demanded, instantly concerned about it.

 _"I'm all right,"_ Frame said, despite being clearly not. _"Oh, no,"_ he breathed a moment later, horrified. _"They're cycling down."_

The Doctor grimaced, rubbing his hands down his face. "That's a nuclear storm drive, yes?" Frame confirmed it and the Doctor groaned, "The moment they're gone, we lose orbit." If they hit the planet below, that nuclear storm would burst and wipe out everyone on the planet. Not good. "Midshipman, I need you to fire up the engine containment field. Feed it back into the core."

 _"This isn't going to work,"_ Frame said faintly, and the Doctor was quick to reassure him, determined. They would make it work. He ensured Frame that he'd get to the bridge as quickly as he could, and then turned to look at the others.

"We're going to die!" Foon wailed, and as Morvin hastily reassured her, Mr. Copper was going on and on about someone having done all of this on purpose in horror. Astrid was protesting that they were just a cruise ship, that there was no way someone could have done it on purpose. Rickston was yelling again. Only Bannakaffalatta and Jay, who knew better, were quiet.

"Okay, okay!" the Doctor snapped over the commotion; they all fell silent. Jay watched his face intently, waiting for the instructions on what she needed to do. "First things first," he told them all, confident despite being anything but. "One: we're going to climb through this ship. 'B'...no, two: we're going to reach the bridge. Three, or 'C,': we're going to save the _Titanic_." Jay's lips tugged into a smile as he finished, "And, coming in a very low four or 'D' or that little roman numeral 'i-vee' in brackets that they use in footnotes...why. Right then. Follow me."

The Doctor didn't know why he was so surprised that it was Rickston who immediately barked, "Hold on just a minute, who put you in charge? Who the hell are you anyway?"

He only had so much patience regarding men like that and he lost that patience as he turned on Rickston and got in his face, spitting out, "I'm the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm nine-hundred-three years old and I'm the man who's gonna save your lives and all six billion of the people on the planet below. Got a problem with that?"

Jay beamed proudly, excited that someone had finally put Rickston in his place as he said in a small voice, "No."

"In that case…" The Doctor winked at Jay, clicking his teeth. " _Allons-y_!"

He led them through the maintenance tunnel, to the other side. Jay slipped through everyone else to walk beside him, picking her way in bare feet over the debris and sparking cables that littered the floor, heels long since lost. "Careful," he warned when she winced.

"I'm wearing shoes I can run in from now on, no matter where I am," she informed him as he suddenly began shoving at a piece of metal, trying to move it. She propped her shoulder against the piece and helped, pushing as hard as she could until it moved and cleared the way for them.

"You should have done that before," the Doctor chided gently and then rolled his eyes when he overheard Mr. Copper informing the others that this was all in the spirit of Christmas, a supposedly violent holiday in which humans survived depending on whether they'd been good or bad. "That's not true," he told Mr. Copper, nearly scolding him. "Christmas is a time of peace and thanksgiving and-"

"Doctor, you need to be honest with yourself." Jay gave him a look. "I've never had the kind of Christmas you're describing, but when is the last time that you of all people managed to have a peaceful Christmas?" He sputtered, somewhat offended, and she flashed him a grin before suddenly pointing at a flash of gold. "A Host!" She ignored him and went to free it, shoving at a plate of metal until the Host, broken by the crash, was freed.

"Strength of ten," the Doctor agreed, dragging it free. He noted a flight of metal stairs that had been revealed by the movements of debris. "We can use it to fix the rubble if we mend it."

"We can do robotics," Morvin said suddenly, earning their attention, "both of us."

Foon smiled brightly. "We worked on the milk market back on Sto. It's all robot staff."

"That's fabulous, thank you," Jay said, stepping away so they could work. She smiled broadly when the pair settled down to do their work on the robot. The Doctor grabbed her shoulder and pushed her gently forward, saying to Astrid as he did so, "Let's have a look, shall we?"

"Okay," Astrid agreed, stepping aside so that he could push his way up the flight of stairs they'd uncovered. Jay let Astrid go and then followed her up. She scowled when Rickston was next up after her, but didn't mind that Mr. Copper and Bannakaffalatta followed them, too. They were near the top when Astrid declared, "It's blocked. Can we shift it?"

Jay grinned as the Doctor threw her an approving look. "That's the attitude," the Doctor said happily and then said, "Bannakaffalatta, there's a gap in the middle of all this…" He eyed the metal that blocked their way thoughtfully. "See if you can get through?"

"Easy," the small alien said brightly and went to work, squeezing past them all and into the debris. Jay watched after him worriedly, and then flinched when the ship suddenly lurched around them. They all staggered, throwing their arms up to protect their heads from loose pieces that showered down onto them.

"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute!" Rickston snapped, and Jay eyed him with a glare. She hated him, she decided, wanting nothing more than to shove him over the railing of the steps. Not that she ever would.

"Oh, Rickston," the Doctor chimed from where he stood a few steps above them. "I forgot, did you get our message?" When Rickston looked up, bewildered, the Doctor glared at him and snarled, "Shut up!"

Rickston sputtered and Jay cackled under her breath as Bannakaffalatta announced that he'd made it through. The Doctor smiled, praising him, and then frowned as Astrid started crawling in after him, claiming, "I'm small enough, I can get through."

"Careful," the Doctor warned.

"I'll be fine," she called back, disappearing among the wreckage.

"Thing is, how are Mr. and Mrs. Fatso gonna get through this gap?" Rickston sneered, smirking in amusement at his own words.

When Rickston opened his mouth, Jay lost her patience with him. For a year she'd stood by, unable to do anything as people she liked were tormented. For an entire year, she'd watched as one man demoralized and hurt people as if they were nothing. And finally, _finally_ , after escaping that, after being freed from that suffering, she was being forced to witness a proud man demean others once more.

The Doctor didn't react fast enough to stop Jay from delivering a quick blow to Rickston's face with her elbow. Rickston reeled back with a shout of pain, hand clapped over his nose and mouth, and Jay latched onto his collar, spitting mad. "We could make it wider by using you as a-"

" _Jayden_ ," the Doctor snapped, exasperated and just a little bit proud. He'd never say as much, of course. He grabbed her forcefully by the waist and hauled her up a few steps, pushing her towards the debris. "Go with Astrid," he said sternly, and she scowled at him in return.

Rickston scowled viciously up at Jay. "She punched me!" he cried.

"What's going on?" Astrid called after them, having heard the commotion.

"She punched me!" Rickston repeated, shocked that the woman had done so.

"I'll do it again if you open that big fat mouth of yours one more time," Jay spat at him, pushing at the Doctor's hands to try and get at Rickston again when he tried to gently yet firmly duck her head so she would go in after Astrid.

"Everything's fine," the Time Lord called to Astrid, "Jay's going with you."

"Like hell I am." Jay dug her heels in, glaring at him.

The Doctor glared right back. "Now isn't the time for this," he warned, wincing as he listened to Foon give a soft sob beneath them, having overheard every word that was being said. Jay heard it, too, and her anger only grew.

"I've had enough," she hissed. "I won't listen to it anymore. Not to you, not to me, not to _anyone_. I'm done listening to it, Doctor. I'm _done_." Her hands shook, heart racing in her chest. She was shaking all over, she was so angry, she realized.

"I know," he said quietly in response, squeezing her shoulder gently. "But now's not the time, Jay. Go." He nudged her towards the debris again and she reluctantly did as he was asking. She crawled carefully through the debris, hissing irritably about her dress catching on a few pieces of metal. She'd just scooted through the final pieces and out the other side, met by Astrid, when Astrid said, "We can clear it from this side."

"Got it," Jay said, still cranky after what had happened with Rickston. She took a deep breath and pushed it out to clear her thoughts. It took her a moment to realize that Bannakaffalatta wasn't moving. "What's wrong?" she asked immediately, worried enough that she forgot her anger entirely.

Bannakaffalatta shushed them when Astrid immediately looked over, just as worried. "Can't say," he said, high-pitched voice somewhat squeaky.

"Are you hurt?" Astrid said anxiously, abandoning her cleaning of material to crawl over to him. Jay took her place, working as they spoke though she kept an eye on the situation.

He shook his head. "Ashamed," he admitted. When Astrid questioned what he was ashamed of, he lifted his white button up shirt to show them the robotic pieces beneath. Jay gasped softly, recognizing the machinery immediately although it differed from that that she'd seen.

"You're a cyborg," Astrid realized, looking back at his face with a surprised look.

"Had accident long ago." Bannakaffalatta looked mournful about it as he spoke. "Secret."

"No, but everything's changed now," Astrid declared, glancing over at Jay for confirmation as she heaved a piece of metal out of the way. "Cyborgs are getting equal rights. They passed a law back on Sto - you can even get married now!"

"That's a hell of a lot better than what cyborgs get where I'm from," Jay mused.

Bannakaffalatta slyly smiled at Astrid and made her blush by saying, "Marry you?"

"Well," Astrid said, flustered, and Jay laughed at the pair, her anger long since forgotten. "You can buy me a drink first. Come on, let's recharge you." Gently, she pressed a button on the small cyborg's torso, and then sat back. "Just stay there for a bit, okay? I'm going to help Jay now."

"Tell no one," Bannakaffalatta insisted to the pair of women and they both agreed before setting to work on prying a piece of metal away that was particularly stuck. Jay yelped when she slipped, narrowly catching herself.

"What's going on up there?" the Doctor called up the stairs that were slowly being revealed on either side. Worry laced his voice, and Jay and Bannakaffalatta chuckled when Astrid cheerfully called back, "I think Bannakaffalatta and I just got engaged."

* * *

The Doctor furrowed his brow, worried when there was a yelp from somewhere among the wreckage above his head. "What's going on up there?" he called up the stairs, worried that something bad had happened. There was a moment of silence, and then he heard Astrid call back down, her words full of laughter, "I think Bannakaffalatta and I just got engaged."

The Doctor sighed softly in amusement and shook his head. He leaned over the railing that lined the stairs, smirking when Rickston wasn't looking about the fact that there was some half-dried blood from a split lip flecking his mouth. He carefully went down the stairs that were available and approached the intercoms, feeling the need to check in with the poor young man trapped in the bridge. "Mr. Frame," he called, "how's things?"

 _"Doctor,"_ Frame replied, sounding anxious. _"I've got life signs all over the ship, but they're going out one by one."_

The Doctor's eyes narrowed, worry flooding him. That wasn't good. "What is it? Are they losing air?"

 _"No."_ Frame's voice filled with fear. _"One of them said it's the Host. It's something to do with the Host."_ The Doctor's eyes widened and he snapped his head around just as Morvin announced that the Host he'd been working on had started working. It was followed by a scream as the Host took Morvin by the throat, tightening its grip until he couldn't scream. Foon looked horrified, trying to stop it.

The Doctor flew to them as voices came from above. The Host was repeating a single word, "kill," and he yanked his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, shouting, "Foon, shut it off!"

She tried desperately, but found her attempts useless. "I can't, Doctor!" she wailed, terrified for her husband. Morvin was choking, struggling to pry himself free and simply breathe.

The Doctor swore under his breath in a rare moment when he found his screwdriver would be useless due to deadlocks. "Foon, go upstairs!" he ordered.

She hesitated. Foon decided to do as he said, however, and turned to flee. He managed to pry Morvin free with his hands after a brief moment, and then pushed him away from the Host as it turned after him. Morvin faltered, scared, and the Doctor shouted, "Rickston, get them through!" He caught the Host's attention, granting Morvin the opportunity to hurry up after his wife.

"Rickston!" Mr. Copper shouted in outrage a few seconds later. The Doctor scowled, furious, and silently hoped that he met Jay on the other side of the wreckage. He was relieved when he heard Astrid crawl back through to help Mr. Copper get Foon through, offering their assistance. The Doctor thundered up the flight of stairs after ducking around the killer Host. He found that Foon had finally made it through and now Morvin was struggling. "Get through!" he ordered.

"It's going to collapse!" he heard Mr. Copper's desperate voice cry. He sounded from the Doctor's point of view as he was trying. "Rickston, damn it, help me!"

Rickston's voice was lower, and the Doctor couldn't hear what Rickston said, but he certainly heard the cry of outrage followed by the determined shout of, "Hold on, Mr. Copper, I'm coming!" from Jay.

It was a lot of struggling on everyone's part before Morvin made it through and the Doctor glanced back. The Host was right there, reaching for him as Jay shouted for the Doctor to come through, too. He heard Astrid gently reassuring the couple and urging them onward. The Doctor paused. "Information override!" he cried. "You will tell me the point of origin of your command structure!"

"Doctor," Mr. Copper called, his voice strained. "We can't hold it much longer-"

"Information: deck thirty-one," the Host informed him, pausing just long enough to give the requested information.

The Doctor beamed. "Thank you!" he said, and then bolted as quickly as he could through the hole that had been created. He scrambled out the other side just as the pole Jay and Mr. Copper had been struggling with was released and a beam crashed down atop of the Host that had begun creeping through after them.

Jay didn't hesitate to throw her arms around the Doctor with a gasp of relief, sweat slicking her forehead from the effort she'd put into holding that beam up, and he chuckled, briefly hugging her back. "I'm all right," he said kindly and then looked around at the room the others had hesitantly begun exploring. The Doctor noted the way Mr. Copper stuck to Astrid and Bannakaffalatta while Foon and Morvin went to grab some food from a table. Rickston was left alone.

"Where are we?" Jay asked.

"Away from the Host," he answered grimly and then headed for the nearest intercom. He was grateful that they were practically plastered everywhere in the ship. It was coming in handy. "Mr. Frame," he said into them when he reached them. He was more than aware of Jay hovering beside him, wringing her hands and shaking them out in a way he now recognized. He made a note in his mind to check with her momentarily. "You still there?"

 _"Yes, sir,"_ Frame said shakily, _"but I've got Host outside. I sealed the door."_

"They've been programmed to kill. Why would someone do that?" Jay murmured. The Doctor repeated her question into the intercom.

 _"That's not the problem,"_ Frame said anxiously, sounding more distressed. _"I had to use a maximum deadlock on the door, which means no one can get in. I'm sealed off. Even if you can fix the_ Titanic _, you can't get to the bridge."_

The Doctor drew a hand down his face, frustrated. "Right, fine," he muttered, "one problem at a time, Mr. Frame. What's on deck thirty-one?"

 _"Um, that's down below...it's nothing. It's just the Host storage deck. That's where we keep the robots."_

The Doctor tapped the screen attached to the intercom, frowning. He planted his glasses on his nose and then glanced at Jay. "See that panel?" he said, gesturing to the one he meant. She nodded slowly. "Black. It's registering nothing. No power, no heat, no light."

"Strange," Jay murmured, and Frame agreed over the intercom, _"Never seen it before. I'll try intensifying the scanner."_

The Doctor nodded although Frame couldn't see him. "Let me or my friend Jay here know if you find anything. And keep those engines going, okay?" He removed his glasses and pocketed them carefully turning and making his way over to an area that would be safe to sit in. Jay settled onto the floor beside him, just as Astrid approached with a plate of food.

"Saved you some," she told them, hesitantly sitting beside the pair. "You might be Time Lords from whatever that planet was, but you need to eat."

"Thanks," Jay said, "and he's the only Time Lord, Astrid. I'm just a human."

"You're not _just_ a human," the Doctor chided, nibbling at some of the food.

Jay nodded slowly. "You're right," she said under her breath, reaching for some snacks herself. "I'm not just a human. I'm a weirdly poisoned human who's got bits of alien stuck in her." The Doctor choked, and Astrid stared at Jay in alarm. "Don't worry," she said, wiggling her fingers at Astrid. "I won't eat you or anything."

Astrid giggled, but the Doctor turned and frowned at her severely. "That's not what I meant and you know it. I was going to ask. Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She held up a hand, touching just beneath her third finger's second knuckle. "It's crept up to there. It's slower now...I'm wondering if the year we spent just hanging around let whatever it is settle or something. Maybe with the running it'll pick up again, I'm not sure."

"I can do some tests when we get the TARDIS back," the Doctor murmured, confident that they'd survive this disaster unfolding around them.

"You can try," Jay said darkly, thinking of the needles.

"Doctor," a voice said, and the three gathered looked up to find Mr. Copper coming over to join them. "It must be well past midnight, on Earth," he told them. "Christmas Day." The old man looked so excited by the prospect despite their situation that Jay giggled, smiling warmly at him.

"So it is," the Doctor hummed, flashing him a grin. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Copper."

"This Christmas thing," Astrid suddenly asked, looking to Jay as if she'd know what was up with it. "What's it all about?"

"I'm not the one to ask." Jay put her hands up in surrender, lips curving into a dry smile. "I'm from two hundred years in the future and from a family that was much like many of the passengers that were aboard this ship." She faltered at the reminder of just how many had died, but pushed on, looking to the Doctor for answers.

"Long story," the Doctor told them, shaking his head. Jay mentally noted that. She'd ask him later. Mr. Copper hesitated, and then questioned why they couldn't just send out a signal to Earth, so they could send up a rocket. "They don't have spaceships," he said honestly, although he was fairly sure that Jack likely had something that could have received their signal. And if not Jack...UNIT. He eyed Mr. Copper curiously. "Mr. Copper, this degree in Earthonamics...where's it from?"

"Honestly?" he said, sighing heavily. "Mrs. Golightly's Happy Travelling University and Dry Cleaners." Mr. Copper hesitantly sat beside them as Astrid gaped at him, shocked that he'd lied to the cruise line to get his job. Mr. Copper merely said in response, "I wasted my life on Sto. I was a travelling salesman, always on the road and I reached retirement with nothing to show for it. Not even a home. And Earth sounded so exotic."

"I suppose it is," the Doctor mused, thinking of all of his experiences on the planet beneath them.

"How come you know it so well?" Astrid studied him. "I mean, Jay's a human, but you're an alien. So why do you know so much about it?"

Jay watched him out of the corner of her eye, interested by what his response would be as he reached for another piece of food. "I was sort of...well, a few years ago, I sorta made…well, I was homeless, and there was the Earth."

Before anyone could say anything more, there was a loud banging on a door on the other side of the room. The Doctor dropped his food and sprang to his feet. Jay and Astrid scrambled to their feet, helping Mr. Copper up as Rickston, Foon, and Morvin moved nervously closer to the other three.

"A Host," the Doctor said darkly, turning and darting for the door opposite of the one the Host was trying to get through. Astrid gave a scream when the door suddenly buckled a little beneath the force. Jay pushed her and Mr. Copper after the Doctor, urging everyone to follow suit.

The Doctor rapidly used his sonic screwdriver on the door, and then shoved it forward. They all piled in and Jay immediately pressed back with a gasp at the sight of the sheer drop that was suddenly below their feet. "Doctor-" she breathed, immediately grabbing his arm when she felt disoriented. She'd not been afraid of heights before this, still wasn't, but there was something disconcerting about standing so high above an empty space-

"Is that the only way across?" Rickston snapped.

The Doctor didn't look at him, only at the engines roaring below. "On the other hand," he said grimly, "it is a way across."

"The engines are open," Astrid noticed as the Doctor took a step closer to the bridge.

"Nuclear storm drive. As soon as it stops, the _Titanic_ falls."

Morvin held his wife's hand tightly. "That thing...it'll never take our weight."

Rickston made a snide comment, and the Doctor ignored him, swiftly taking a gentle hold of Jay's arm before she could do anything. Not that she would at this point in time; she was too busy staring in horror at the empty space beneath her. , "It's nitrofine metal. It's stronger than it looks."

Morvin shook his head, taking a step to the side. "Rickston's right, me and Foon should-" His words suddenly turned into a scream as the panel of metal beneath his feet gave out and the railing that had protected them from the drop gave way. He toppled into open air, plummeting. Within seconds, he was gone.

" _MORVIN!_ " Foon's scream was blood-curdling. She turned to the Doctor, hysterical as she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Bring him back! Can't you bring him back? Bring him back, Doctor!"

She sobbed harder when he looked mournfully at her and whispered, "I'm sorry, I can't."

"I told you!" Rickston cried, terrified, and Mr. Copper snarled right back at him, "Just shut up!"

Jay's knees buckled a little as she pressed her back to the door, not caring that there was a Host on the other side. She'd not feared heights this much before, she thought, shaking. She'd dropped from car to car when chasing the carjackers - partially because she knew that those cars would be exactly where they were supposed to be, ready to catch her alongside the Doctor. She'd never felt this way before she'd joined the Doctor, had never been as frightened as she was during her travels with him.

But there was something about the way the drop and the way it was empty space beneath her feet with no reassurance that she was safe from it outside of a simply - clearly unstable - metal piece of flooring. If she fell through...there was no coming back, as Morvin had just proven to them.

She didn't notice what was going on until the Doctor was there, frowning as he gently moved her aside so that he could use his sonic screwdriver on the door. She flinched, shivering. "Doctor," she croaked, staring down at the grating beneath her feet. Unlike the TARDIS's grated floor, this was anything but secure.

"Come on," he murmured. "You'll be all right, it's safer on the other side." He took her elbow and moved her towards the bridge, letting her grip his wrist tightly as he coaxed her further from the door on which a series of Hosts were now banging on. Jay took a quick look around. Rickston was halfway across, Mr. Copper not far behind. Foon was still knelt beside the edge of the floor, sobbing as Astrid tried to reassure her and get her moving.

"Jay," the Doctor said after sending Bannakaffalatta forward, "you next."

" _No_." She shook her head. "No way in hell."

He gave her a stern look. "You've done far worse than crossing a bridge, Jay. You'll be fine. You have to try."

"Send Astrid," she insisted, "I'll go when you go."

Astrid stood away from Foon, looking sorrowfully at the other woman. She gently took Jay's other elbow, flashing the Doctor a quick smile. "I'll take her across," she said firmly, clearly shaken herself despite her confident tone. She started forward, keeping a gentle grip on Jay's elbow before shifting it to her hand. Jay's hand gripped hers so tightly, her knuckles were white. The terrified blonde sent the Doctor a quick look.

"I'll be right behind you," he promised her, and then turned his attention on Foon. "Foon," he said quietly, crouching beside her. "You've got to get across right now. We can mourn later, when we're safe."

She sobbed, her face streaked with tears. "What for? What could I do without him? I love him. I love him." She rocked back and forth a little, unable to comprehend that her husband was gone.

Rickston's voice shouted from the other side, "Doctor, the door's locked!" The Doctor glanced up, reluctant to leave her, and scowled when Rickston shouted again. "She'll get us killed if we can't get out!"

The Doctor noted that the intense dislike Jay held for Rickston seemed to drive her forward a little as she became more confident. Her face was pale, dotted with sweat. As much as they both hated the man - the Doctor wanted to punch him as well - he was right. They needed him on the other side. "Mrs. Van Hoff," the Doctor said kindly to her, knowing she was in pain. He'd experienced pain like that, too. "I _am_ coming back for you, okay?"

Foon nodded, snuffling. The Doctor rose and then took a hesitant step onto the bridge. It moaned, creaking beneath the weight of the five people atop it. Bannakaffalatta gave a cry, announcing that there were too many people; Astrid panicked, thinking it would fall, and the Doctor grimaced when Jay's head snapped around, looking for him. "Keep going," he told them all. "It's just settling."

Jay didn't do as he said, instead narrowing her eyes, suddenly frozen. "Doctor, they've stopped."

It struck him that it _had_ gone silent. He glanced back. The Doctor narrowed his eyes as he realized that the Hosts had stopped banging on the door and Bannakaffalatta questioned, "Gone away?"

"Why would they give up?" the Doctor said warily to himself as he waved for the others to continue, eyeing Jay and Astrid as they tottered carefully across. Neither were pleased with their placement. "Where have they gone? Where are the Host?"

Mr. Copper caught his attention when he said loudly and very nervously, "Doctor, I'm afraid...I'm afraid we forgot the tradition of Christmas that angels have wings." He pointed up and everyone tipped their heads back to stare at the Hosts that were descending from above, their hands reaching for the sharp halos on their heads.

"Arm yourselves!" the Doctor cried. "All of you!"

Everyone grabbed what they could and within moments, they were swinging as hard as they could without falling at the creatures around them. Jay heard Mr. Copper cry out when a halo was throw and sliced deeply into his leg. The Doctor himself staggered when one caught him smartly in the arm. Jay narrowly avoided one herself, and then wheezed Astrid's name when she collapsed, heaving for air. "I can't," she gasped.

Bannakaffalatta saw this and immediately dropped the weapon in his hand. "Bannakaffalatta stop!" he cried, catching their attention. "Bannakaffalatta proud! Bannakaffalatta...cyborg!" In one smooth movement, he'd lifted his shirt and slammed a hand over his robotic pieces, sending a wave of energy throughout the space around them. All but one Host suddenly froze and tumbled through the open air to the engines below. The last one hit the floor near Foon, who was watching in horror.

The Doctor recognized what he'd done immediately. "Electromagnetic pulse took out the robotics! That was brilliant!"

Astrid seemed to agree as she crawled along the bridge to where he'd fallen. There were a few moments in which the two conversed about something, and Jay found tears rising in her eyes when she caught a few words, but said nothing as she began to edge forward, knowing she'd need to get off eventually. She knew how these things went; you kept going and mourned later, just as the Doctor had told Foon. Bannakaffalatta was dead, and they weren't. For the time being.

"I'm sorry," Mr. Copper said as he joined the softly crying Astrid, just as Jay got close enough to hear. "Forgive me, but the EMP transmitter...he'd want us to use it." Mr. Copper carefully crouched beside Astrid and reached for the machinery in Bannakaffalatta's chest. He gently removed a piece. "I used to sell these. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. And if we can recharge it, we can reuse it as a weapon against the rest of the Host." He added after a moment, "He might have saved us all."

"Information: reboot."

The voice had them all whirling around. The Doctor spun around on the bridge with care, panicked as Foon backed away hastily. Panic crossed through him. The EMP wouldn't be ready before they needed it. His sonic screwdriver wouldn't work. "No, no, no," he said as it advanced on him, reaching for the bridge. He dug through his thoughts, trying to figure out what to do. "Override loophole security protocol...err, ten!" When that didn't work, the Doctor scrambled back, careful of where he put his feet, and spat out numbers. "Six-six-six! Twenty-one, four, five, six, seven-"

"ONE!" Jay screeched from where she was standing, arms thrown out for balance.

The Host stopped, and then straightened. "Information: state request."

The Doctor let out a gust of air, making a mental note to thank Jay later. He waved for the others to continue. He'd figure out how to cross when they were across. "Good, right. Okay. You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?" He heard a shout of relief as Mr. Copper got all the way across.

"Information: no witnesses," the Host said blankly.

"But this ship's gonna fall on Earth and kill everyone...the human race have nothing to do with the _Titanic_ , so that contravenes your orders, yes?"

"Information: incorrect."

"Why do you want to destroy the Earth?"

"Information: it is the plan."

"What plan?"

"Information: protocol grants you only three questions. These three questions have been used."

The Doctor made a face as it lifted the halo above its head, annoyed that he hadn't been able to get all of the information he wanted out of the Host before it had resumed its killing spree. "You could have warned me," he grumbled. He took a careful step back, bracing himself for regeneration, and then stared as a lasso made of a chain was thrown over the Host's head.

Foon stared confidently at it, tying the other end to herself. "You're coming with me," she said darkly. She met the Doctor's gaze for the briefest of moments, and then closed her eyes and simply jumped over the side.

" _No_ ," the Doctor cried, staring down in horror as she plummeted into the engines, just as Morvin had. Jay and Astrid gave matching cries of her name, and the Doctor took in a ragged breath, desperate. Four people had died under his watch. Four too many. Three of which he'd vowed to get out of this situation. "No more," he said grimly, turning and marching across the bridge. He caught up quickly to the shaken Astrid and Jay and coaxed them the rest of the way across, to where Rickston and Mr. Copper waited.

Once they were across, he pushed past Rickston, and after unlocking the door, they all piled through. They found themselves in some more maintenance halls, and he winced when Jay only seemed to look worse about the situation.

"Right," he muttered, turning to Mr. Copper and Rickston. He was keeping Jay with him. Rickston couldn't be trusted, and he felt a little bad about ditching Mr. Copper and Astrid with the man, but he couldn't send Jay, who he knew would likely murder the man if left unattended with him. He doubted Astrid was willing to physically push her away if need be. The woman seemed to have a gentle soul, although there was clearly a fierce protectiveness in there, too.

"Get up to Reception One," the Doctor instructed the two men. "once you're there, Mr. Copper, you've got staff access to the computer. Try and find a way of transmitting an SOS. Astrid," he continued, turning to the young waitress. "You're in charge of this." He took the EMP from Mr. Copper, pushing it into her hands. She took it with wide eyes. "Once it's powered up, it'll take out Hosts within fifty yards, but then it needs sixty seconds to recharge. Got it? Rickston, take this." Jay squawked in outrage when he handed his sonic screwdriver over, and the Doctor ignored her. "I've preset it. Just hold down that button. It'll open doors." He sharpened his gaze, glaring. "Do _not_ lose it! You got that? Now go and open the next door. Go on! _Go_!"

Rickston grumbled as he went to do as he said.

"What am I doing?" Jay demanded, but he turned to Astrid and asked her where a power point was. She instructed him that it was under the intercoms, and he led her over to show her how to charge EMP back up.

"When it's ready," he told her, "that blue light comes on there." He pointed.

"You're talking as if you're not coming with us," Astrid commented quietly.

"There's something down on the thirty-first deck," he replied, frowning. The Doctor glanced briefly at Jay. Understanding crossed her face. She was going with him. "We're gonna find out what it is."

"What if you meet a Host?" Astrid fretted, worried for the pair.

"We'll ask some very lengthy questions." Jay snorted softly in amusement at her own words, and Astrid smiled faintly before looking back to the Doctor.

Astrid replied quietly, sounding somewhat amused, "Sounds like you do this kind of thing all the time."

"Not by chance," the Doctor said firmly. "All I do is travel. That's what I am - what the both of us are, just travelers. Imagine it. No tax, no bills, no boss, just the open sky."

The next words that left Astrid's mouth froze Jay's mind. "I'm sort of...unemployed now, and I was thinking that the blue box was kinda small for three, but...maybe I could squeeze in. Like a stowaway."

She wanted to join them, Jay realized, and the Doctor glanced back at her, searching her gaze. Jay felt horribly guilty for wanting to say no. They'd _just_ left Martha back on Earth. Martha was down below, even, trying to enjoy Christmas with her family. She felt as if bringing in Astrid would be like erasing the other woman, and it killed Jay. Jay bit her lip, fidgeting with her fingers. It wasn't up to her, she decided. She was merely tagging along with the Doctor, on _his_ ship. If he wanted Astrid to come...she'd push her own thoughts to the back of her mind. Remembering that she was being watched, Jay quickly pushed her face into a neutral expression.

The Doctor answered and picked his words carefully. "It's not always safe," he said gently.

"So you need someone to take care of the both of you." Astrid looked between them, her eyes full of so much hope that Jay felt sick at her own denial. "I've got no one back on Sto, no family...just me. What do you think? Can I come with you two?"

Slowly, the Doctor spoke, taking what little he'd seen cross his friend's face into consideration. "I have someone to watch out for me." Jay stared at him in surprise as Astrid's face fell with immense disappointment, her face flushing. "But...maybe we can show you one or two places. Find you somewhere that will take you to all of the places you want to go to."

Jay's shoulders loosened and she flashed Astrid a warm smile, somewhat relieved. She'd knew what "one trip" had turned into for Martha. She knew that the same thing would likely happen to Astrid. It was just what life with the Doctor was like. But the way he'd answered, it wasn't like he was trying to quickly fill the empty spot Martha had left behind.

The ship suddenly lurched. Everyone staggered, fighting for their balance. Face darkening, the Doctor swiftly stood and spoke into the intercoms. "Mr. Frame, you still with us?"

There was a moment in which the Doctor feared that Frame was no longer with them, but then his voice said shakily, _"It's the engines, sir! Final phase. There's nothing more I can do. We've only got eight minutes left."_

"Don't worry, I'll get there. I know the bridge is sealed off, but I'm working on it. I'll get there, Mr. Frame, somehow." A blinking blue light on the EMP told him that it was time to get moving. "All charged up. Mr. Copper," he said, spinning around to give him a fierce look. "Look after her. Astrid, look after him. Rickston…"

"Don't be an ass," Jay finished for him, earning a glare from the Doctor and smirking at the irritated man. She turned to Astrid. "We'll see you later, okay? We'll find you afterwards.'

Astrid threw her arms around her in a quick hug and then nodded. "Be careful," she told them both, eyes shining. And then she was sprinting over to Mr. Copper, the EMP in hand.

The Doctor turned to Jay, eyeing her bruised and battered feet. He'd get her something from the TARDIS infirmary when they got back to her. "Ready?" he said, winking.

"Yep!" She winked back and then they were sprinting back in the direction they'd come. Jay let him lead the way. They carefully made their way across the bridge, with the Doctor lightly letting her grip his hand when a sound of fear left her mouth. Once across, they continued onward.

* * *

The Doctor led them down a few flights of stairs and it was in a small kitchen that the Host suddenly appeared, surrounding them on all sides. Jay jerked away from their reaching hands when they appeared, gasping in surprise. The Doctor took hold of a pot, pointing it at each of the four Hosts. "How useful," Jay said sarcastically, earning herself a glare that told her she was being unhelpful.

"Wait, wait, wait!" the Doctor cried, whirling on another Host with his pot. "Security protocol one! Do you hear me? One!" They stopped and the Doctor exchanged a quick look of relief with his companion before saying, "Okay that gives me three questions. Three questions to save my life, right?"

"Information: correct," the one nearest to them said.

"Doctor!" Jay snapped, and he grimaced.

"That wasn't one of them," he protested to the Host. "I didn't mean it. That's not fair. Can I start again?"

"Information: no."

" _Doctor_!" Jay repeated, smacking his arm smartly. He flinched, glaring back at her in response before forcing himself to focus on the situation at hand.

"That wasn't one either. Blimey, one question left. One question." He was stalling, Jay knew immediately. She'd seen him do it before. "So you've been given orders to kill the survivors, but survivors must therefore be passengers or staff, but not us. We're not passengers, nor are we staff. Go on! Scan us! You must have bio records No such people on board. We didn't exist, therefore...you can't kill us. Therefore, we're stowaways and stowaways should be arrested and taken to the nearest figure of authority. And I reckon that the nearest figure of authority is on deck thirty-one. Final question: am I right?"

There was a moment in which both Jay and the Doctor held their breath. They let it out in loud gusts when the Host confirmed, "Information: correct."

"Brilliant," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Take me to your leader!"

"Really?" Jay said, shaking her head as they were pushed forward. The four Host began to escot them through the ship to deck thirty-one, and Jay kept close to the Time Lord, who in turn kept a close eye on her to make sure she didn't suddenly disappear for whatever reason seemed to be common in their adventures.

The Doctor leaned in to murmur in her ear when they reached deck thirty-one, indicating the fires that were flickering among heavy structural damage to the _Titanic_. "That is what you call a fixer-upper."

"You think?" she muttered back, rolling her eyes.

"Alright then!" the Doctor said, straightening with a hard look in his eyes when the Host stopped and left them to step forward on their own into a larger area. "Come on then, Host with the most, this ultimate authority of yours! Who is it?"

"Doctor," Jay said, pointing to a set of doors that had slid open behind him while he wasn't looking. He spun around, fully aware that there was a nearby space that revealed the engines. Jay shuddered at the sight of them, making sure to keep an eye on the edge. It was overlooked by a large window. "Ooh," the Doctor said softly, "that's clever. That's an omnistate impact chamber. Indestructible. You can survive anything in that, eh? Sit through a supernova or a shipwreck."

Jay knew exactly who the head of it all would be just seconds before an odd looking vehicle rolled out into the room through the double doors. Max Capricorn looked odd, with only his head among wires and machinery. The head was the only part of his body actually present, and she found herself semi-uncomfortable.

"My name is Max," he said smoothly before narrowing his eyes at the pair before him. "Who the hell are they?"

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor said, wiggling his fingers playfully. "Hello. And this is my companion. Jay."

"Hi," she said awkwardly, waving.

"Information: stowaways," a Host added.

"Kill them," Max ordered. His life support machine turned to wheel him back through the doors, but the Doctor quickly spoke up as the Host began to prepare to do just that.

"Oh, no, no!" the Doctor cried, whisking Jay a few steps away from the Host. She let him, rolling her eyes. "You can't! Not now...come on, Max! You've given me so much good material. Like...how to get ahead in business. See 'head?'" He beamed at Jay, who slid a hand down her face and muttered, "Oh, my God," in a quiet way. "No?"

Max spun back around and laughed cruelly. "Oh, ho! An office joker. I like a funny man. No one's been funny with me for years." The Doctor commented that he couldn't possibly think of a reason why and Max's face flashed with irritation. "One-hundred-seventy-six years of running the company have taken their toll."

"Yeah, but...nice wheels." The Doctor didn't seem to care that he was annoying the hell out of the one who could very easily have them killed at the moment. Jay saw the problem immediately, however, why Max Capricorn was the way he was without needing to hear more. He was a cyborg, his mind kept alive by machinery. He wasn't accepted by his own society.

Ignoring the Doctor, Max demanded, "Host, situation report!"

"Information: _Titanic_ is still in orbit." The Host that had spoken didn't say anything further on the situation.

"Let me see," Max ordered, moving closer to the window. The Doctor and Jay moved aside, splitting apart so that his machinery could drive between them. "We should have crashed by now," he muttered in irritation. "What's gone wrong?" He peered down at the engines below, growing angry. "The engines are still running! They should have stopped!"

"When they do," Jay said calmly, speaking to him for the first time. She narrowed her eyes. "The innocent people below will be killed. What has Earth got to do with any of this? Why would you do anything like that?"

Max ignored her, continuing to puzzle over the engines, but the Doctor added in, throwing her a look of approval. "I bet I can guess. Business is failing and you wreck the ship so that makes things even worse. Oh, yes! No." A pause as he checked with Jay, who nodded. "The business isn't failing, it's failed. Past tense."

"My own board voted me out," Max gritted out, slowly turning towards them. "Stabbed me in the back."

The Doctor continued as if he hadn't spoken. "You scupper the ship, wipe out any survivors in case anyone's rumbled you and board find their shares halved in value. But that's not enough," he added, narrowing his eyes. "'Cause if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth, it murders hundreds of thousands of people below and outrage back home."

"A scandal!" Jay added sarcastically, folding her arms. The Doctor looked as if he liked that she was making an input in such mocking things towards someone who was clearly intending to murder countless people. "And meanwhile, you're a coward. You sit here, safe inside the...what did you call it, Doctor? An impact chamber?"

He nodded and Max said coldly, "The whole board would be thrown in jail for mass murder. People are waiting to retrieve me from the ruins and enough off-world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Pentaxico Two where the ladies, so I'm told, are very fond of metal." He smirked at Jay, who made a sound of disgust.

"So that's the plan," the Doctor said angrily, just as disgusted with Max as Jay was. "Two thousand on this ship, six billion underneath, all of them slaughtered. And why? Because Max Capricorn is a loser."

"I never lose!"

"You can't even sink the _Titanic_ ," Jay pointed out, arching a brow as she gestured to the engines that were still running.

"Oh, but I _can_ ," he replied confidently, grin widening. "I can cancel the engines from here." As he finished speaking, the distant roar of the engines below fell silent. The Doctor's eyes flashed with horror as he realized he really could cancel the engines from where he stood. "Host, hold them!"

Jay yelped when two Host grabbed her by either arm, two more doing the same to the Doctor. He fought furiously to free himself, shouting at Max that he couldn't go through with his plan. Max didn't at all care about what he was saying as his machinery escorted his head back towards those doors. "A shame we couldn't work together!" he called. "Kill them."

Jay flinched when two of the four Host lifted their halos to kill she and the Doctor, yet glared up at it as it moved. But her attention was caught when a voice suddenly shouted, "Mr. Capricorn!" Even the Host paused. "I resign!"

"Astrid!" Jay gasped in horror when she saw the waitress, face pale, seated in a forklift with her gaze locked onto Max. The forklift suddenly shot forward with surprising speed and slammed into Max's life support. She fought viciously to free herself as the Hosts each turned their attention onto Astrid, the two who'd been prepared to kill she and the Doctor throwing their halos. One went wide, but another struck the forklift, glancing off and slicing through a piece.

"He's cut the brake-line!" The Doctor's eyes were wide with terror for the innocent woman as Astrid lifted Max's systems off the ground with a simple flick of the controls. Max screamed in outrage as Astrid slammed her foot over the gas and fearlessly headed straight for the drop into the engines. As she did so, she turned her head just briefly to smile faintly at the trapped pair before facing forward again, face set with determination.

"Astrid!" Jay screamed her name this time as they tipped over the edge.

Jay felt the grip of the Hosts loosen and threw herself forward. She didn't take any notice of the Doctor as she hit the ground on her knees beside the drop, looking into it. Tears gathered and fell as she stared down at Astrid, catching sight of her as she fell. She'd somehow shoved herself free of the forklift, Jay noticed, which tumbled beneath her.

She was gone before the Doctor could kneel beside her.

A sob left Jay's mouth as she stared down in horror. She'd not been sure about the young woman traveling permanently with them, but she'd liked her enough to want her to come on one or two trips. Had wanted to ensure she got to live the life she wanted to live.

And now she was dead, too, just like the majority of the people that had ever come around them.

The Doctor's face was grim as he pulled Jay away from the edge just as the ship groaned and shook violently, his own gaze filled with grief. He hauled her to her feet, fingers gentle as he kept her from tripping right into the engines after Astrid.

Mourn later, she heard him tell her, and she shoved at her cheeks, scrubbing them clean of tears. They had work to do.

The next few moments were a blur for the distraught Jay. She barely found herself able to focus, although she did try as the Doctor rushed around, his face set with anger. He was finally ready and with a snap of his fingers, they were airborne, the Host lifting them skyward. It didn't take long; with the Host soaring upwards at top speeds, weaving among wreckage, they reached the bridge that Frame awaited at quickly and Jay closed her eyes when they broke through the ceiling, debris scattering all over them.

"Blegh," she muttered, spitting dust as the Host released them. They hit the ground stumbling. Jay took a moment to clear her face as the Doctor bolted forward, crying cheerfully, "Ah, Midshipman Frame at last!"

"The - but the host!" the young man, looking terrified and in pain from the gunshot to his belly, cried, jabbing a finger towards them.

"Controller dead, they divert to the next highest authority: me." The Doctor examined the controls quickly as the ship groaned again, violently yanking to the side. Jay caught herself barely and stumbled forward. Frame looked at her in confusion; Jay suspected that her face was a disaster after the near endless crying for the last few minutes.

"There's nothing we can do," Frame told them quietly as the ship shook harder. The Doctor stepped forward and took a hold of the wheel, which Jay thought looked very much like ship wheels from the nineteenth century. "There's no power. The ship's going to fall."

 _"Titanic falling,"_ a computer blared as if in confirmation of what he'd said. Jay jumped when the world seemed to shake wildly around. She stumbled forward and gripped the panels near the Doctor. Frame did the same, eyes wide as they looked out the windows before them. The Earth was coming closer and closer.

"What's your name?" the Doctor suddenly called to the confused midshipman. "Your first name?"

"Alonso." The Doctor turned to look at him with shock, gaping. "What?"

The Doctor laughed in delight, flashing a grin at Jay. "That's something I've always wanted to say," he told her, and then shouted as the ship began to shake so hard that his next statement could barely be heard over the screaming of metal, " _Allons-y_ , Alonso!" An alarm suddenly went off, a red button blaring near Jay's hand. The Doctor glanced over and Jay checked with him, clinging desperately to the panel in front of her as she smacked it. A screen near her flashed and she peered at it.

"London!" she shouted over the noise. "We're going to hit London!"

"Of course we are," the Doctor grumbled. "Alonso, get those comms working!"

Alonso did as he was told, following a few instructions to get the connection to the planet below. Jay eyed him, surprised that he'd managed to accomplish such a thing, although she wasn't sure where the surprise came from. "Hello!" the Doctor shouted over the roar. "Could you get me Buckingham Palace?"

The title of the place was well-known even in Jay's time, and she sputtered, wincing when she slammed her hip into the side of the panels. The Doctor didn't give anyone warning before shouting something about security codes and ordering for people to get out. He hung up a moment later and then yanked back as hard as he could on the wheel just as the computers announced that the engines were active. Jay stared in terror, shocked by just how close the planet below had come. She could see buildings, could practically picture the _people_...

Disbelieving laughter left Jay as she was sent flying back with Alonso, slamming into a wall at the back of the bridge. After a few moments of immense pressure, the _Titanic_ leveled and the Doctor laughed as Jay and Alonso joined him at the front of the bridge.

"How's that for saving the Earth?" the Doctor cried, face full of excitement as he spun the wheel, winking at Jay. She rolled her eyes and smiled gently at the wide-eyed Alonso.

"All right?" she asked Alonso.

"Who the hell are you people?" he demanded.

They exchanged a look and shook their heads, smirking.

* * *

A short while later found Jay seated at the back of the bridge beside a still stunned Alonso, rubbing her aching feet with a frown. They were battered beyond belief. The black veins that surrounded the areas that the creature's venom had seeped into were only the start of their disastrous appearance. Burns, cuts, bruises, even something she could scrub off with her hand.

Alonso peered curiously at the veins. "What happened?"

"Not entirely sure," she sighed, tucking her feet beneath her skirts. She knew what had happened; she just didn't know what the extent of the damage had done. She shook out her wrists in thought. Up past her second knuckle, but not yet reaching the one closest to her palm.

The Doctor suddenly strode over from fiddling with controls. He had been fidgeting with them for some time, ensuring that the ship would run until they could get help. He dropped to sit beside Jay, and she felt a flash of comfort at the fact that he was beside her. She couldn't get the image of Astrid falling out of her head.

"Used the heat of re-entry to fire up the secondary storm drive," he told them confidently. "Unsinkable, that's me!"

"Uh-huh," Jay said, shaking her head. "Sure it is."

He elbowed her gently, silently scolding her for her sass, and then froze. His expression changed to excitement. "Teleport!" he gasped, shooting to his feet. "She was wearing a teleport bracelet!"

"Doctor?" Jay called, but he was already sprinting out of the bridge, shouting for her to hurry. Jay scrambled to her feet and rushed after him, wincing as she did so. Her feet ached horribly, but she ignored the pain.

She caught up to him in the reception room that the Doctor had sent Mr. Copper and Rickston, who she found herself annoyed with as she merely glanced at his face. "Rickston! Sonic!" the Doctor barked and Rickston threw it to him. He snagged it with ease. "Mr. Copper! The teleports - have they got emergency settings?" Mr. Copper looked shocked, stammering. "Astrid fell, Mr. Copper, she fell. What's the emergency code?"

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Jay demanded as Alonso joined them.

The Doctor's eyes flashed when he glanced back, grinning at her. "We can bring her back!"

"You can?" Hope sparked in Jay's chest as Mr. Copper realized what he was doing and began to explain hastily.

"If a passenger has an accident on shore leave and they're still wearing their teleport bracelet, their molecules are automatically suspended and held in stasis so that we can just trigger the shift," Mr. Copper said hastily, and then spun around when the Doctor gave a triumphant shout and there was a brief flash.

Astrid's transparent form ahd appeared, blankly searching the air in front of her. _"I'm falling,"_ the hologram-like woman said softly, her voice hitching. "I keep falling."

"Come on," the Doctor gritted out, working furiously on the machinery that ran the teleports. "Feedback the molecule grid, boost it with the restoration matrix - no, no, _no_!" he cried when the machinery suddenly sparked violently. "Need more phase containment. If i can just link up the surface suspension…"

In that moment, Jay's hope vanished. There would be no saving Astrid. Tears rose to her eyes as Mr. Copper tried to stop the Doctor, telling him that she was gone. The Doctor denied it, furious, and Jay decided to step in, acceptance running through her own soul. "Doctor," she said softly, catching his arm in her hand. He snapped his head around, his frustrated gaze meeting hers. She saw grief there. Grief, and frustration, and horror, and self-loathing. He blamed himself for Astrid's death, just as he blamed himself for others' deaths. Jay slid her hand into his when he was paying enough attention. "Doctor," she echoed, squeezing gently, "we need to let her go."

The Doctor pressed his lips together unhappily, and slowly pulled back from the machinery he'd worked so hard to try and fix. She tightened her grip on his hand, eyes not leaving his as Mr. Copper said, "There's not enough left. The system was too badly damaged. She's just atoms, Doctor. An echo with the ghost of consciousness. She's stardust."

The Doctor finally withdrew from Jay's grasp in favor of slowly making his way over to the transparent Astrid. "Astrid Peth," he murmured. "Citizen of Sto...the woman who looked at the stars and dreamt of travelling…" He took a deep breath, lifting his sonic screwdriver and aiming it at a porthole nearby. "Now you can travel forever."

The window popped open and the woman became balls of light that drifted out the window.

Jay hugged herself, not bothering to swipe away the tears that fell down her face. "Fly, Astrid," she whispered to no one in particular. "Travel the stars."

* * *

The Doctor used the teleports to get them to the Earth, implementing the TARDIS's coordinates in so that they could find her with ease. Jay had never been more excited to see the spaceship and left the Doctor to explain to Mr. Copper, who had been brought with them, how he could live on the Earth without dealing with the penalties of lying to the cruise line. She quietly retreated within the TARDIS, seeking the comfort the song it sung and its surroundings provided her. Rather than helping Rickston, they'd left him with Alonso.

Jay was sure she'd have pushed Rickston into a supernova if given the opportunity.

By the time she sought the Doctor out, almost an hour had passed. Jay had quickly showered and scrubbed her feet gently, wincing and whimpering when brushing her fingers over a few particularly tender areas. The TARDIS had produced some fuzzy socks that she decided would be the only thing she wore on her feet from that moment on. She wandered back to the control room when she was ready and found the Doctor wasn't there for once.

"Where is he?" she murmured in confusion. The TARDIS hummed in response and Jay blinked when the hum quieted. She turned in one spot, looking around, and arched a brow when the hum immediately loudened when she was facing the entrance to the corridors. "Seriously?" she muttered, although she spoke fondly to the TARDIS.

The TARDIS led her in this manner down a few halls until she found herself stepping into what turned out to be a grand and beautiful library. Jay's lips parted in surprise. She'd not seen this library until then. There were countless books in every direction, and she loved it immediately, running her fingers along the spines of the books.

She found the Doctor comfortably settled into an armchair, changed back into the suit he normally wore. He'd propped his feet up on the armrest of the sofa residing beside his arm chair, and had a book in his hands. He looked up when she cleared her throat. "Jay," he greeted cheerfully, flashing her a smile.

"Doctor," she replied, dropping into the couch. It was lovely and comfortable, and she nearly groaned at the feeling. "I was looking for you."

"Were you?" He closed his book, setting it aside. "What for?"

She hesitated, and then admitted, "I wanted to check in. Before I went and slept for a few hours. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

A flicker of something she couldn't decipher ran through his eyes before vanishing. "I'm fine," he said firmly, and then sat up a little, propping his elbows on his knees. He paused after a moment's consideration, and then said, "Are you okay?"

She knew he wasn't okay, and that he didn't want her to know. She said simply, "No. My feet hurt, Astrid's dead, and I really, really miss Martha." She wished her friend was there with them. It was odd without her, and Jay supposed she should have gotten over it, but...she couldn't help it.

The Doctor studied her face closely and then said simply, "Me, too."

* * *

 _There were quite a few things I sort of changed, and this chapter is insanely long. I really liked writing it though and look forward to the next! Had particular fun with displaying the effect of the Year That Never Was on Jay. ;)_

 _Next chapter will be an original! And then...Donna!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Rosealyn and bored411!) as well as those who favorited and followed! You're a delight!_


	16. Spinningwheel

The Doctor insisted on rest for the equivalent of a few days in the TARDIS. Jay found she enjoyed the time immensely and caught up nicely on her sleep while simultaneously getting herself used to not having Martha around and exploring the ship she called home. She found a few rooms she'd never seen during her time with Martha and had even spent a few days in the closet, "shopping" in some manner.

When she was lonely, Jay found she'd usually find the Doctor tinkering around with something in the control room, in the library, or just wandering. Occasionally, he'd disappear and she'd be unable to find him at all, but it was only once or twice that he'd done that. They'd share meals, whenever the Doctor declared it time, and Jay found herself learning to cook, although after nearly setting the entire kitchen on fire, the Doctor told her cooking was off limits and took over.

It was after one particular incident in which Jay found herself eyeing the stove suspiciously during a meal with a nasty burn from spattered oil on her arm that the Doctor declared, "We're going somewhere."

"We are?" She looked up in surprise. "Where?"

He thought it over, tapping his fingers in thought on the table. Jay grimaced, ignoring the unintentional pattern by sheer willpower. The Doctor still noticed and stopped. "What do you know of the Middle Ages?"

* * *

Rather than dressing in one of the time-appropriate dresses the TARDIS provided when she was getting ready to leave, Jay chose to remain in her favored attire although she threw a jacket over top the T-shirt. She was nearly bouncing off the walls when she got to the control room, where the Doctor waited, leaning against the control console. "I did it!" she announced.

"You did what?" he questioned, amused as he spun around and began to shift the controls, preparing them for travel.

"I tied my own shoes!" she grinned widely, showing him her foot with a tied on shoe. The Doctor laughed, finding her excitement contagious. He was delighted that she was excited to get back to what they were actually quite bad at: simply traveling and nothing more.

The Doctor didn't warn her before flipping the lever and Jay staggered when the TARDIS began to move, latching onto the railing behind her. He was beaming away as he studied the screen he had spun around to see, making sure that they were going exactly where he wanted them to go. He'd ended up in places he didn't want to go and knew better than to trust the TARDIS to do what he wanted without ensuring it.

When the TARDIS touched down, he spun away from the console. "The Middle Ages!" he informed her, striding for the doors. She followed close behind, pausing to let him swing on his trenchcoat. He tucked his sonic screwdriver securely into his suit jacket, humming. He threw the TARDIS doors open and stepped out. "A period of feudalism! Marked by three periods of time: Early, High, and Late!"

"Feudalism?" Jay muttered, trying to remember where she'd heard the terms as she stepped out after him. She was immediately greeted by fresh air that she eagerly breathed in, peering out over the beautiful landscape before her. It was incredibly green, and in the near distance, she could see what looked like a small village. Even further off was a black smudge that she curiously peered at but didn't question. Perhaps it was a hill or mountain?

The Doctor locked the TARDIS doors behind them and set off at a brisk walk, hands pushed into his pockets. Jay bustled after him, head cocked. "This is beautiful," Jay said as they began walking through some trees. The trees were lush, the weather surprisingly warmer than Jay had thought it would be.

"It is," the Doctor agreed, swinging his legs with ease over a log that had fallen. He paused to wait for Jay, who clambered somewhat ungracefully over the side, and then the pair were off again. They continued like this for some time, simply enjoying the sights. The Doctor rambled on as they did so, explaining random facts about the Middle Ages to her. Jay listened half-heartedly, focused more on the scenery around her. It was shockingly warm, she thought, the closer they got to the village. The Doctor was guiding them in its direction, eager to show her what they were like.

Jay shed her jacket and tucked it over her arm, listening to the rustle of grass beneath their feet. When they reached the edge of the forest, Jay suddenly paused, furrowing her brow. "You'll be able to find the TARDIS again, right?"

"Of course," he said, looking insulted with the accusation that he might not be able to. "When have I not found my ship?" Jay gave him a pointed look. "That was one time - _one_ time," he said with a huff, pouting at her. "And it was Martha's fault, she had my sonic-"

"You're the pilot," Jay pointed out, hiding a teasing smile. "Aren't you supposed to know everything, Doctor? I mean, you've told me that I don't need to question you because you know everything."

He pointed at her warningly and then marched down the hill they'd crested, heading straight for the village. Jay found herself giggling, following. Her laughter faded as they approached the village and were greeted by the sounds and sights of busy people, hard at work. Jay inhaled the smells, wincing a little at some of them.

It was as she was studying the people of the village coming and going, trading services or riding past on horses, that she first heard the strangest of sounds. Jay perked up when she heard a soft song on the air, the notes a beautiful low tenor, just barely audible but still there. She snapped her head around, seeking it, but found nothing when she looked for a source. Rather than asking the Doctor about it, she kept quiet, not wanting to create a commotion about something that didn't seem malicious.

She'd noticed that, over her time aboard the _Valiant_. She didn't hear many things, but when she did, she'd been able to get a handle on whether they were bad or good. The TARDIS's song and that that filled the air, similar to that of the TARDIS, when Jack had been "killed" was filled with light and warmth. The constant drumming in the Master's head had possessed the low undertones of violence and hatred.

This song...it was kind, but sad.

She narrowed her eyes and made a mental note to see if she could track it down as they wandered the village.

"Let's get something to eat," the Doctor said cheerfully, gripping her elbow gently and tugging her towards what appeared to be some kind of bakery. "Not much other than break, it looks like, but that's fine. We can run back to the TARDIS, grab something to put on it…"

"Why the hell would we run all the way back to the TARDIS to grab something to put on _bread_?" Jay demanded, amused that he thought she'd go all the way back just because she liked jam. She still nearly skipped along beside him, excited by the idea of trying something new to eat. It was one of her favorite things to do, no matter where they went. New food was always fun.

That plan was quickly put to a rather rude halt.

" _No_ ," a man who was rather intimidating snarled when they stepped into his bakery. He rushed over, shoving them rather harshly right back out the door and slamming the door shut behind them. The loud sound dragged the attention of several other people over and Jay was stunned by the sheer amount of hatred that was suddenly directed towards them.

"What'd we do?" she demanded, looking to the Doctor as his brows lifted in curiosity. "Did we violate some kind of...unspoken rule?"

"I don't know," he mused. "Maybe it's our dress." He looked down at his suit, frowning. "Normally they don't care about my suit...maybe it's your shoes," he commented.

"I'm wearing the same type of shoes as you," Jay said dryly, holding her foot out near his so that he could see.

"Ah, so you are," he mused and then whirled away, hands pushed into his pockets. "Well, no point in dwelling on it. Let's go speak with someone and see what there's to do around here. Maybe they'll teach us about their farming techniques."

Jay silently thought that this was turning out to be a rather boring adventure, but didn't say so to the Doctor, only smiling faintly at him and letting him lead the way as she normally did. He led the way through the village, trying to find them something new to do. Each attempt became quite similar to the bakery; people bustled away in terror or hatred, refusing to acknowledge them. The only one that didn't run was a friendly dog, who Jay knelt to greet with a warm smile, trying to pretend she didn't hear that sad song growing louder the longer they were there or the eyes that she suddenly felt were watching them.

"Something's going on here," the Doctor declared as he folded his arms, frowning at the dog Jay was petting. She scratched its ears and the dog leaned into it, wagging its tail. "They take one look at us and run."

"They should, to be fair," she pointed out as she stood and shooed the dog on its way. It wagged its tail one more time and then ran off. "Look at us. Look at _you_ , you're like a magnet for trouble."

He pouted and then shook his head. "Something else. This isn't normal, no matter when I go." He made a face and rubbed the back of his neck. "And is it just me, or is it _really_ warm?" The Doctor glanced to the open blue skies. "Especially for this time of year."

"What time of year is that?" Jay asked. "Also, there's someone watching us. Have been for a while."

"I know, been waiting to see what they do," he agreed before adding, "Maybe...February? March? Far too early in the year to be dealing with this much heat. Especially in this time." He frowned. "The Middle Ages had a moment of good crops in the High period, but there was a small Ice Age of sorts." He launched into a rant about such matters that Jay was lost about in seconds, rambling as he leaned against the wall of the home nearest to him. Jay focused more on what he was doing as he spoke. He'd pushed a hand deep into his pocket, fishing out his sonic screwdriver.

He pulled it out, fidgeting with it as he said, nodding his head casually to the left to indicate that he wanted her to go that way, "Let's explore and see what we can find about this heat, shall we?"

"Sounds good to me," Jay agreed, her lips quirking in amusement. "Meet back here?"

"Ten minutes," he agreed and then was spinning around to walk away. Jay wondered where he was going exactly although she went where he'd told her, rounding the back corner of the house in mere moments.

Jay realized what he'd been doing when something slammed into her, knocking her down and driving the breath from her chest. There was a squeal as the child rebounded off of her and fell just as hard as she did. The Doctor practically appeared above her to help stop the child from scrambling to her feet and bolting.

"Alright?" he asked Jay as she grumbled, climbing to her feet.

"I'm fine," she reassured, and then studied the young girl. Jay was shocked when she looked up and stared her down with vivid purple eyes. She appeared human otherwise, but Jay knew immediately that she wasn't. The length of her neck was a little longer than the average human's, too.

"Don't hurt me," the girl begged, shivering violently. She couldn't have been older than twelve or thirteen, Jay thought as the Doctor swept his sonic screwdriver through the air to scan her.

"We're not going to hurt you," Jay soothed, offering her a warm smile. "Why were you watching us though?"

"You're newcomers, and you're dressed funny." She wrinkled her nose. "You're _weird._ I had to make sure I didn't need to call my papa."

Jay's brows lifted in curiosity. "And who's your papa?" she asked, a little nervous. She could hear a softer version of the song that swelled in waves coming from the girl, and it gave her the feeling that her papa might be the one with the louder version. She exchanged a quick look with the Doctor, who looked just as interested as she did in the matter. Especially when the girl jabbed a finger in the direction of the black smudge in the distance.

"Don't you know? Everyone knows who my papa is," she said accusingly.

"We're new here," the Doctor said quickly. "We just got to the area recently. Why don't you enlighten us? And what's your name?"

"Ysmay," she said immediately, blinking her pretty eyes at the Doctor with interest. Her delicate nostrils flared as she studied him. "You're like me and my papa. You're from another planet, aren't you?"

"Yes," he confirmed, not seeing the point of lying about the matter. "Why don't you tell us about your papa? And why you're here on this planet?" He eyed the girl thoughtfully. He wasn't sure about Ysmay's father, but...the girl herself seemed harmless thus far. Jay certainly seemed to think so as she offered a hand to her.

"And why you and your papa are so sad," Jay added in, smiling kindly. The girl looked shocked that she'd known and even the Doctor frowned, curious. She smiled faintly at him. "I hear it." His interest grew and he straightened, studying her closely. "Like the TARDIS. There's this song, and it's...horrible, it's so sad."

Ysmay stared at Jay in awe. "You hear my papa's song?" she whispered. "He sings it, every night...I help him."

The Doctor frowned lightly at Jay, worried. The last time she'd heard such things, they'd been on the _Valiant_. He folded his arms, impatient. A few times now, his question had been avoided, but he asked it again. "What happened? Why are you here?"

Ysmay opened her mouth to explain, but was cut off by a scream. "The demon! The demon's here!" Jay giggled at the look on the Doctor's face when he turned to look at the woman who'd screamed. Her face was full of fear, her finger pointed at Ysmay. Jay swept her behind her protectively, although it didn't do much good when people swept around the other side. Jay swore softly under her breath; they were surrounded by village members.

"I knew it!" the baker they'd tried to buy bread from earlier snarled as he joined the group, glaring at the Doctor. "He and that witch tried to come and buy my wares."

Jay winced. That was nicer than some of the other things she'd been called in her lifetime, but still. She kept herself protectively between Ysmay and the villagers, aware that the Doctor had shifted closer to them both with a suspicious look on his face. "Doctor," she hissed.

Ysmay ducked around Jay, surprising her. Her gaze was icy as she said to those who'd gathered, their eyes blazing with hatred, "Don't forget what Papa did the last time you tried something."

Immediately, hatred turned to fear. A few people lumbered away, and those who remained looked furiously at the girl before the baker snapped, "Get out of our village and go steal food somewhere else, demon," before heading back to his bakery.

Jay furrowed her brow as Ysmay's cold expression melted into one of distress. She was a bit on the thin side, Jay thought, touching her shoulder. "Are you hungry?" she said, and Ysmay shyly nodded. She glanced to the Doctor, who was frowning at nothing in particular, likely trying to piece the puzzle together without all of the information. "Why don't we go back to our ship and grab something to eat, and you can tell the Doctor and I about what's happening here?"  
Ysmay shook her head. "Thank you, but I have to go home. Papa's expecting me." She smiled at the pair with surprisingly sharp teeth. "Farewell." And then she was sprinting off, heading in the direction of that odd black smudge.

The Doctor watched her go thoughtfully and Jay glanced to him. "What do we do?" she asked, folding her arms. "Do we follow her?"

The Doctor debated for a few moments before shaking his head. "We'll figure out what the people here were on about. I want to know why they called her a demon."

"Her differing appearance might have had something to do with it," Jay said wryly. "Do you not know what planet she's from?"

"It's ringing a bell," he admitted. "I can't remember everything, you know." She smirked a little and he sent her a warning look. "Shush," he hushed before she could say anything regarding the matter. "Don't even start, you." He spun around, eyeing the direction that Ysmay had gone.

"Suggestion!" Jay said suddenly, nudging him with her elbow. "I stay here and figure out what's going on with the 'demons' and stuff while you go and follow Ysmay with the TARDIS. You can come pick me up when you're done."

The Doctor contemplated this and then nodded slowly. "I don't like splitting up, but that'll be more productive...any incoming attacks?" he suddenly requested, searching his pockets.

"Nope. Not for some time," Jay confirmed, positive about the matter. She blinked when he tossed her his sonic screwdriver. "Why are you giving me this? Shouldn't you take that with you?"

"Two settings," he said, ignoring her questions while simultaneously answering them. He leaned in, grabbing her fingers to show her what to do. She paid close attention, knowing that she was being taught two new settings on the sonic screwdriver. There were very few that he full out taught her and she was excited to learn new ones. "One for summoning the TARDIS right to you if there's an emergency, and only if it's a very bad emergency," he said warningly. "The second one is for when you're done. It'll send a signal to the TARDIS, and she'll let me know."

"Okay," Jay agreed, taking the sonic screwdriver. She repeated information back to him at his request, and then tucked it safely away. "I'll see you soon?"

"See you soon," he agreed, winking and clicking his teeth playfully before striding off. Jay watched him leave, hands pushed contently into his pockets and a spring in his step. She shook her head and wiped a hand over the back of her sweat-dampened neck, frowning. It was extraordinarily warm now, she realized, warmer than it had been earlier.

Shrugging, Jay shooed off her thoughts and went to investigate.

* * *

As a proclaimed witch, investigating turned out to be harder than she'd planned. No one would truly talk to her, either ignoring her or threatening her if she didn't turn and walk the other way the second she opened her mouth. Jay found herself annoyed beyond belief the fifth time it happened.

Finally, she approached a house on the outskirts. It was incredibly run down, patched up rather roughly. Jay sighed and knocked on the wooden door, waiting for someone to answer. If this didn't work, she'd signal to the Doctor. A few hours had gone by anyways, and she was sure he would have found something by this point.

After a moment, someone opened the door. Jay immediately pushed a smile to her face, tucking her hands behind her back as the startled man, forty or so years of age, blinked at her in surprise. A priest, or something similar, Jay expected, eyeing the clothes he wore. "May I help you?" he asked warily.

"Maybe," Jay responded, giving him her sweetest smile. "I'm passing through town with my friend, and we got caught up with the supposed demon that's running around you village." Something flickered through his gaze at that. She noted it and continued. "I was wondering if there was any information you could give me about who she is? What she's doing here? Perhaps we can help you out."

The man studied her closely before finally stepping back, waving for her to come inside. "Please, come in. I doubt there's much you can do, but I'm more than willing to tell you what I know, my dear. My name is Allister. You are?"

Jay smiled as she stepped inside, relieved. _Finally_. Some level of success. She peered curiously around the small village home, taking in the variety of historical items that were likely worth some serious money in the future. She didn't care about such matters, but she wondered what the historians of Martha's era would think if they were in her position. "Jay. My name's Jay. A pleasure to meet you, Allister."

He smiled broadly in response. "Likewise, my dear." He gestured to a chair. "Perhaps you'd like something to eat? You look famished."

"That'd be great." She politely smiled as she settled into the chair he'd pointed to. She ran a finger through her sweat-dampened blonde hair, wondering how the Doctor's end of things was currently going. Undoubtedly more successful than her, although she expected there was likely some amount of trouble involved...he could never avoid trouble.

"So you met the demon child?" Allister questioned as he took up a seat nearby, pushing a bowl of some type of broth towards her. Jay didn't hesitate to take it up in her hands, careful not to actually take a bite of it. She'd learned the hard way more than once not to trust people right away.

"Yes. She said her name was Ysmay." Jay pretended to take a bite, careful to not actually swallow, and then set the bowl aside, her gaze meeting Allister's. He looked pleasant enough. "I wanted to know more about her - both my friend and I did," she added. "We saw that your village didn't care much for her and were interested in helping to rid you of her."

Allister nodded slowly. "Help ridding our town of she and her father would be helpful," he admitted. He gestured to the door, as if Ysmay stood on the other side. "Tell me, my dear, what did you see about her?"

"Nothing much, just that she clearly wasn't from around here," Jay replied, although she couldn't say she belonged there either. "And she mentioned that her father had done something to hurt the village previously?"

"We used to have a blacksmith in town," he agreed. "The man struck the demon child and was destroyed by the child's father when it descended upon us. Several others were killed in the attack, including a boy I had taken in upon the death of his parents."

"I'm sorry to hear about that," she said sympathetically. Jay offered a kind smile. "Continue? Or better yet, start from the beginning. When did they first arrive?"  
Allister nodded and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and drawing his face into a grim expression. "Yes, of course. Well," he said with a heavy sigh, shaking his head, "they appeared during the colder season. We weren't doing well, of course, as crops were unable to successfully grow over the span of the warmer days. And then...there was this shooting star, and the next day, the pair showed up in the village, injured and burned. A woman of our village took pity on them when they showed up injured on she and her husband's doorstep and took care of them both.

"The creatures grew rather attached to her, and she to them." Allister shook his head again, looking distressed. "We should have realized how much so they'd grown attached to her...you see, the father of the demon child extended an offer of marriage to the woman a few weeks later. She rejected his offers and in his rage, he killed her husband and fled to the home of the local royalty."

"That way, right?" Jay asked, pointing in the direction the black smudge had been. He nodded.

"Yes," he confirmed. "Alongside the murder of the woman's husband, he forced her along with him. We sent some men from the village to retrieve her, but...they didn't return." A brief, but dark look crossed over Allister's features. "We've not heard of her wellbeing since she was taken from us."

Jay folded her arms thoughtfully, tapping her fingers thoughtfully along her arm. Her blue eyes were sharp with thought as she considered what to say and do before finally saying, "I have a friend...he'd be more than willing to help you out. In fact, he's gone to investigate the demons now." She rose to her feet, smiling gently. Her fingers pushed into her pockets, seeking the sonic screwdriver. "I'll let him know what you've told me when he gets back-"

Allister's eyes flashed with alarm. "You mean he's gone to the castle? Your friend will not return. No one has."

"You don't know my friend." Jay spoke confidently and calmly, finding the sonic screwdriver in her back pocket. She fiddled with it as best as she could without letting Allister see it. She was already a supposed witch. She didn't need anyone seeing her supposed magical wand. "He'll figure everything out, don't you worry."

Allister said, "Well, why don't you wait for him here? It's safer than staying out past the dark...odd things happen here at night." Jay signaled the Doctor as she spoke, wisely nodding her head.

"That would be fantastic, thank you, Allister," she said in response, offering him a warm smile. Jay tucked the sonic screwdriver safely back into her pocket and then clasped her hands in front of her. "And thank you for the meal, by the way, I appreciate it." She gestured to the barely touched broth that Allister had given her - something that the man had taken notice of, if the look on his face was anything to go by.

Something suddenly wasn't feeling too right, and Jay pressed her mouth into a hard line, studying Allister's face closely. She narrowed her eyes a little before forcing the smile back to her mouth. "Just so I have my story straight, and to make sure I have everything correct...there was a shooting star in the sky, two demons showed up, ruined a woman's life, said woman's husband was killed and she was taken, and now you guys have to live in constant fear of the demons?"

"That's correct, yes," he said.

"I'll relay it to my friend," she promised and then took a deep breath. Something felt incredibly off, but she wasn't going to react too badly just yet. It might set something off. She fidgeted with her fingers before stating with false cheer,"Would you be willing to part with some water while we wait?"

"Of course, my dear, of course." Allister's eyes never left her and for a moment, just a split moment, Jay considered reaching for the sonic screwdriver again.

* * *

The TARDIS materialized with the familiar rasping sound in the shadows of the castle that had only hours before been a smudge of black on the horizon. The Doctor flashed his ship a fond smile, briefly brushing his fingers over the blue wood of the outside as he left, closing and locking the door behind him. He wasn't sure what Ysmay and her father were, but he was confident that he didn't want them getting into the TARDIS.

The Doctor turned on his heel and confidently strode away from the time machine, studying the front of the castle. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he considered how to get inside, and he ran his hands through his spiked hair.

"This is going to be a problem," he murmured under his breath and began to pace alongside the building, taking notes as he went. Large, old, gray. Very, _very_ gray. He much preferred the blue of his home. It wasn't very different from what most buildings of such caliber looked like in the time period…

So what on earth had happened to the residents? What had killed or chased them away?

Ysmay and her father, undoubtedly, but _what_ were they? He should have known, it was tugging at the back of his mind - and it was driving him crazy. He needed to get a move on, however, he decided. It had been hours in terms of how long he'd left Jay in the village, and he wasn't entirely sure he felt too comfortable doing so in a village that had declared her a witch.

Something was going to happen, it was their luck. He shouldn't have left her there, should have made her come with him. He was going to regret having left her there, the Doctor could feel it. But she'd not yet signaled his TARDIS as far as he knew.

He picked up a slow jog, following the side of the castle until he came across a decently low opening. A window, he thought with relief. With ease, he hoisted himself through and hit the stone ground within the room he'd jumped into. A kitchen of sorts, although long since abandoned. He studied the area carefully, and then ducked out of it.

It was warm, he thought. Not just warm. _Hot_. Really hot. He followed a corridor, tugging at his collar with a frown. He remembered the Jagrafess. He hoped it wasn't anything like the Jagrafess. Ysmay had seemed friendly enough, though, so he wasn't sure that it would be like that…

He followed the heat rather than trying to get away from it, ignoring the sweat that dampened his forehead. Up and up a few flights of stairs, not losing his breath despite continuing at a jog. Eventually, he emerged into a corridor. All of the stone was scraped up, as if something had been dragged back and forth across it. His looked around, finding that it only led straight ahead. Slowing from a jog, he studied it carefully and then walked onward until he came to a heavy wooden door.

"Wood," he muttered in disgust and then pushed open the door.

He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when he'd done so, but this most certainly wasn't it. The Doctor studied his surroundings closely, astonished by what he'd come across: a bedroom. Decorated beautifully despite the ruin and abandonment of the rest of the castle, kept in careful check. White, gray, and soft pink tones to make it warm, the bright sun washing in from the single window, surprisingly large for the stone castle. The building had been meant for defense.

And settled into the massive mattress at the center of it all was a woman. The Doctor locked onto her immediately, scanning her intently. She was asleep, perfectly content, without an ounce of fear or worry on her face. A smile even curled across her lips. Long blonde hair was spread around her face in waves, seeming silver in the moonlight coming from the window.

Interest fluttered across the Doctor's face as he made his way closer. He dug in his pocket and fished out his glasses, perching them on his nose as he leaned over the woman in the bed. Unharmed, completely fine, healthy even, he thought, tipping his head a little. _Fascinating_. And _human_. What was going on here that hadn't been mentioned?

A snarl suddenly caught the Doctor's attention. He spun around, whipping his glasses from his nose. Shock flashed through his face. "That's not something I could say I've ever seen," he breathed, and the creature bellowed, washing the room in flames.

* * *

The sharp stab in her head dragged her awake and Jay's eyes snapped open. A soft curse left her mouth when she realized she saw only darkness, and for a moment, she worried that she'd gone blind. Another sharp pain made her gag, and she quickly rolled onto her stomach, blearily blinking until her mind had cleared. Finally, she pushed herself upright, looking around.

"Where-" She cut herself off, confused on what she'd been doing. She remembered sitting there, chatting with Allister about a variety of things. She'd claimed to come from another country, which was technically true, and had insisted that he explain the daily life and what it was like in this old village.

And then...nothing.

Jay frowned, scrambling through her memories to try and figure everything out. She'd been talking with Allister, hoping the Doctor would be back soon, and there'd been the discomfort over a few discrete questions she'd managed to slip in. Jay took a deep breath. Worrying wouldn't help. She'd keep herself calm and focus. Chatting...waiting...and water.

The water.

She pushed her hands over her eyes, furious with herself. What the hell had she been thinking, drinking water that had been given to her in a town of people who'd called her a witch. How stupid could she be?

Worrying about it would do no good.

First things first...she had the sonic screwdriver. She could summon the TARDIS to her, the Doctor had promised. She dug in her pockets, wishing she could see in the dark. She was amazed when she found the sonic screwdriver, impressed that they'd not taken it from her before throwing her her in this prison of sorts.

She felt for the buttons, and then paused, frustrated when she realized that she couldn't even remember what the setting had been. It was fuzzy in her brain. Which one was it? She remembered the ones before that day, but even then...that entire day was somewhat fuzzy now. She wanted to throw the sonic screwdriver in her frustration, but didn't dare.

If she lost that device, the Doctor would be anything but pleased.

Jay took another deep breath. She'd dealt with far worse. She'd seen the Master, and the Daleks, and the creature who'd poisoned her.

She could deal with a bunch of _humans_.

Jay climbed to her feet, feeling around with care. She felt nothing under her shoes and stooped to run her fingers over the floor, her other hand holding the sonic screwdriver tight. What felt like hay scratched at her fingers. Likely a shed of some sorts, she decided upon feeling the walls. A shed for certain.

Okay, she could break out. She'd broken out of plenty of places before with the Doctor. She tightened her grip on the sonic screwdriver and then closed her eyes in frustration. Not only could she not remember that setting, but she could certainly remember that it wouldn't do her any good with a _wooden shed_.

She pressed her mouth together into a hard line.

She was going to ensure that the Doctor fixed that damn device when she found him again.

Jay found the door and tried to push at it. It didn't budge. She pushed harder, and then slammed her shoulder into it, again, and again, and then a final time. The door finally buckled beneath the force. The clasp holding it shut broke and she stumbled out into the night, swearing as she rubbed her bruised shoulder. She put the sonic back in her pocket and started forward, weaving towards the back of the village to avoid being spotted by anyone who might be out and about. Her fingers and wrists tingled. She shook out her hands, stilling as she something.

A song, just like she'd heard earlier. Sad, with a low deep voice soaring out. She listened intently to it, her heart aching for whoever was singing it.

She turned until she faced the direction it was coming from. There. Jay studied the space before her. Nothing but darkness and a shockingly warm night.

Jay rubbed her wrist and then started forward. The Doctor would have explored and tried to figure out what was going on. So she'd do the same. He'd show up eventually. Wherever there was trouble...there was the Doctor.

* * *

The Doctor stared in awe at the creature who'd shoved its massive head through the doorway, its massive jaws parted. Flames licked at sharp teeth and lips. A silly grin had appeared on his face despite the agitation the creature was showing. It pushed itself further in, large body somehow seeming to shrink down so that it could fit into the room. Before the Doctor knew it, a man had taken its place, with a tall, slender neck and vivid violet eyes. Pale, pale skin that practically glowed when bathed by the moonlight. Flames continued to curl around his face as he glared viciously at the Doctor.

"Who are you?" he challenged, voice a low rumble.

The Doctor was in awe. "A Ganapri," he murmured, smiling to himself, not the least bit bothered that the alien was threatening him. "A Ganapri, here on Earth...you're a rare one, and with a _hatchling_..."

His eyes flashed. "What have you done with Ysmay?" Another snarl left his mouth and the Ganapri took a slow step forward, baring his sharp teeth. "What have you done with her?"

"She's fine, last I checked," the Doctor said hastily, holding his hands up in surrender. "We met earlier, I haven't seen her since. Tell me what's going on, why you're here. I'm the Doctor. I don't know what's going on, but tell me. I can help."

His nostrils flared as he continued to glare for a few moments, and then warily, the Ganapri said, "Dayton. She named me Dayton." His chin jerked towards the sleeping woman on the bed.

"And she is?" the Doctor asked, turning to look at the young woman sleeping soundly. He reached for his sonic screwdriver only to realize with a grimace that he didn't have it; Jay did.

Dayton stepped past him, his face filling with sorrow, a soft hum leaving his mouth. The Doctor glanced at him, remembering what Jay had said earlier. _"There's this song, and it's...horrible, it's so sad."_ He understood then. The Ganapri were a musical species, fond of song and dance. The planet had disappeared eventually, for reasons even he didn't understand. He'd not known that a few had escaped to the stars...he was grateful for it though. The Ganapri were a peaceful species.

"Aurore," he said simply, looking down at the woman mournfully. "Her name is Aurore."

"Aurore," the Doctor echoed, tongue curling around the name. "What happened to Aurore? Why is she sleeping like this?" Any normal human would have awoken by now. She looked to be in a coma of sorts.

Dayton snarled again, furious now. He affectionately smoothed Aurore's hair away from her face, gently kissing her forehead before straightening. He turned to face the Doctor warily, studying closely. "Our ship crashed. I found the village to the south, and she was the only one who would help us...her husband was cruel to her. I tried to help, but the village disapproved." A scowl appeared on his face. "They hurt her. I don't know what they did, but the priest in the village hurt her, and she won't wake up."

The Doctor again wished he'd brought Jay and his sonic along with him rather than leaving them behind. Gently, he stepped closer, leaning over Aurore. She didn't stir an inch, merely breathed in and out evenly. "What happened exactly?" he asked, debating if he could move her to the TARDIS to use the equipment there.

"Ysmay and I left one day to hunt," he said, voice hoarse with pain. "We are Ganapri. We eat far more than the humans could produce, so we did what we could to help once we were healed. When we came back, we found her husband and the priest standing over her. I killed her husband and took her here, to safety. It had been abandoned, rundown. It was safe."

"Ysmay threatened that you'd hurt them as you had when she was harmed once," the Doctor said carefully.

"I burned a few homes to the ground," he said, barking out a laugh. A few died. They would gladly do the same to me."

The Doctor considered this as he checked the young woman's vitals, just as Martha had shown he and Jay how to do. She was fine, simply sleeping...and he had no idea how to help her. He wanted his sonic screwdriver to scan her with. It was likely something undetectable without a proper scan.

He didn't blame Dayton for his actions. He'd seen the guilt on his features when he'd spoken. Not of the husband's death, but of the others. He'd not intended to hurt anyone, merely to frighten them from harming he and his hatchling.

Who was apparently missing.

"Hold on, did Ysmay not make it here?" he said, frowning. The girl had left _hours_ ago, she should have made it back.

"No," he murmured, lifting his hard eyes. "No, she didn't."

"I'll find her, and my friend," the Doctor promised, really not liking that he'd left Jay behind. "And then I'll come back, with my ship, and I'll figure out how to help Aurore. Is that alright?"

"You," Dayton said, gaze not leaving him, "what are you, to be helping the Ganapri? You appear like the humans, yet you most clearly are not."

The Doctor grinned, pushing his hands into his pockets as he began backing towards the doorway. "Time Lord," he said simply, and then spun around on his heel and ran.

* * *

Jay pressed her back to the tree, trying to push back her harsh breathing in order to stay quiet as she heard a horse trot past, its rider shouting over his shoulder. She dug her fingers into the bark, scowling as her heart missed a beat in her chest. There would be no attack, not anytime soon, she knew. But still.

She clenched her jaw, reaching for the sonic screwdriver again, seeking comfort from it. She smiled faintly as she tightened her hand around it. Jay gave it a few moments and then bolted in the direction of the song she'd listened to so often in the recent times. She ran as hard as her legs could carry her.

She couldn't outrun horses, however, and she grunted when someone suddenly cantered past, throwing themselves at her, not caring when they're horse vanished into the night. A scowl decorated her face as she fought to free herself. She shoved desperately at the baker from earlier, who glared back down at her, his face full of brutal delight.

"You're no witch," he spat, and Jay glared back as saliva struck her face. "You're as demonic as the other two. You and that man you were with." He glared down at her angrily. "I ought to kill you here and now. Your soul is as good as lost anyways." His hands latched onto her neck, and Jay fought harder.

Before he could so much as squeeze, however, he was slammed into by another form. A small creature with flashing teeth and vicious purple eyes tore into him, latching its jaws onto his arm and shredding through flesh with ease. The baker fell away, screaming, and the moment the creature released him, he ran.

Jay's eyes flashed as the creature turned on her. She could barely see it in the darkness, but she was sure she knew who it was. "Ysmay," she breathed.

The form changed before Jay's eyes. Ysmay wiped the baker's blood from her mouth, shivering. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you," she murmured, hugging her gently. "Thank you." She tightened her arms briefly around the girl, tasting blood in her mouth from where she'd bitten her tongue. She climbed to her feet, pulling Ysmay up, too. "Come on, let's get out of here. Something tells me that this isn't a good place to be."

"That man with you," Ysmay said as they strode forward, hand in hand. She stumbled over something, and Jay caught her, making sure that they didn't have to stop for any reason. "Where is he?"

"He went to the castle, to investigate what you were talking about. Your papa is there, isn't he?"

"Yes," Ysmay said anxiously. "I hope Papa doesn't hurt him."

"Me, too," Jay agreed. She squeezed Ysmay's hand silently, worried. She recalled what Allister had told her and shook her head to herself. She didn't know what Ysmay's father was like regarding how dangerous and violence he was, but Jay was sure that Ysmay at the very least was innocent. She'd talk to the Doctor when he came back around.

They walked for sometime, Ysmay guiding them past any searching villagers until finally, Jay declared, "I can't see! We need to stop. One of us is going to get hurt wandering around like this. We'll wait for morning to come, and then we'll keep going. Is that okay?"

Ysmay looked unhappy with this decision, but said nothing but a small, "Okay."

They found a small hollow underneath a half-dead tree, curling up there, and Jay soothed the anxious girl with a gentle hand. She'd be alright, she thought, brushing her fingers through Ysmay's soft hair. Ysmay seemed to purr, her eyes fluttering shut. Within moments, she was asleep. "Poor girl," Jay murmured, listening to the sad song that suddenly drifted through the air, much louder than it had been. They were closer to the castle, which was good. They'd definitely reach it tomorrow.

Hopefully, the Doctor was around.

* * *

"They're never where I tell them to be," the Doctor grumbled, striding swiftly around the console of the TARDIS. He'd done a quick check for Jay after landing his TARDIS in the village. He'd almost gone out to look himself, but shouting from outside had put a quick stop to that. It seemed as if trouble had arisen, unsurprising with their luck.

From the commotion out and about, he was fairly confident that Jay wasn't in the village. He didn't know what had happened, but it wasn't looking to be very good. The TARDIS hummed, and the Doctor threw the center console a half-hearted glare. "Yes, yes, I know you don't like when we lose people, but I'm working on it." Another sound filled the air, and he rolled his eyes, spinning the screen around to look.

"I told you," he grumbled. "I'm _working_ on it."

He studied the screen after typing in a few commands. "There," he murmured after searching for any sign of his sonic. He locked onto it and then grinned. He whirled around the console, flipping switches and pressing buttons. Finally, he pulled a lever that sent the TARDIS into motion, taking a strong grip and bracing himself to avoid being thrown to the ground when she shuddered unhappily.

It seemed to take far longer than he would have liked, but at last the TARDIS landed. He checked the screen a final time and then strode off for the doors. He'd barely gotten there before there was someone knocking sharply. He threw the door open without hesitation, and grinned when he was met by a messy Jay and shivering Ysmay. "There you are," she cheered. "Wasn't sure when you'd show back up, Doctor."

He tried to give her a stern look. "I told you to use the sonic. What's the point of giving it to you if you don't use it when I tell you to? And what on earth are you doing all the way out here, Jay?" the Doctor scolded, fighting a hint of a smile.

She responded with a cheeky wink. "Helping little girls," she said, fondly putting a hand on Ysmay's head, "getting drugged and thrown in a shed. You know, the usual likes."

"You were drugged?" the Doctor questioned, suddenly frowning.

"Yes, I'm not entirely sure by what, but it was by Allister." She glanced to Ysmay. "The-"

"Priest!" Ysmay said, horrified. "He hurt-" She cut off hastily, clamping her mouth shut, and the Doctor gave her a kind look as he knelt down to her level, his features softening. She searched his face with wide frightened violet eyes.

When he spoke, his voice was kind. "Ysmay," he said softly, smiling, "it's alright. I know about the priest, and what happened. I met your papa. Dayton. He told me what happened."

"I heard a different version from the priest," Jay offered, not unkindly. Ysmay looked to her with despair, but Jay stroked her hair in a soothing manner until she settled. The Doctor glanced up to her, waiting. "Long story short, her father - Dayton, you called him. He got angry when a woman wouldn't marry him, kidnapped her, murdered some people, and ran off."

"That's not true!" the small girl cried, furious. "He lied! He's a liar!"

"I'd say, he locked me in a shed after _drugging_ me."  
"Sh, sh, sh," the Doctor soothed. He waited until she'd calmed before stating, "I know about Aurore, Ysmay, and I'm going to help you all, okay? Come on." He ushered her into the TARDIS, and then the Doctor turned on Jay, giving a look of concern. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Any lingering effects from the drug? I want to get you checked out, see what they used."

"I feel fine, Doctor," she reassured, stepping inside. She gave him a pat on the arm, her blue eyes shimmering with warmth. "No side-effects. I was only out for a few hours. Maybe two hours after you left to last night some time."

He nodded, pushing her into the TARDIS with a hand on the small of her back. "In, then, in, in, in. I promised to have Aurore looked at. Something's not right. I could really use Martha about now."

"We could call her," she said hopefully, loving when she had an excuse to call her friend. They'd chatted a few times since after the Titanic, and she'd most certainly enjoyed every minute of it.

"Ah, I'll do some scans first," the Doctor decided instead. "If we can't figure it out, I'll call her." He pointed her and Ysmay to the captain's seat, and Jay mouthed "bossy" before willingly doing what he'd said. She helped Ysmay onto the seat and then settled in herself. "Oh!" she said suddenly, climbing back to her feet, and the Doctor glanced back.

"Here," she said cheerfully, tossing his sonic screwdriver to him. He caught it nimbly.

"Thanks." The Doctor flashed her a grin and then went to work on steering the TARDIS back to the castle, fully intending to land it in the room that held Aurore. He whirled this way and that, ordering Ysmay to hold tight and for Jay to keep an eye on her. Ysmay gaped around at the ship, in awe of it, and the Doctor hid a smile as he continued what he was doing.

The TARDIS began to move, and Jay expertly braced herself, keeping a very close eye on her new-found young companion. The Doctor spoke rapidly as he worked at the TARDIS console, his eyes darting this way and that. "Ganapri, Jay! They're Ganapri! I thought they were extinct, but there's apparently a few running around the universe!" He flashed Jay a delighted grin. "Their planet vanished, and even I don't know why, but here they are! Quite peaceful creatures, the Ganapri, very musical."

"That's why I've been hearing the song," Jay murmured to herself, smiling warmly when the TARDIS hummed her own song in Jay's head. Jay patted the captain's seat affectionately and then looked up when the Doctor cried, "Hah!" and leapt for the doors as the TARDIS landed. Jay helped Ysmay up and nudged her after him as he disappeared outside, already wielding his sonic screwdriver.

Jay followed after him, gesturing for Ysmay to wait as a cry of, "You just left, Doctor!" filled her ears in a low, gravelly voice. She snapped her head around to find a startled older male version of Ysmay standing beside a bed. Violet eyes sparked warily at the sight of her, body tensing, but the Doctor caught on quickly and fixed the situation before it could begin.

"Jay, Dayton. Dayton, my friend Jay. And look! There's little Ysmay!" He gestured for Ysmay to come out before leaning over Aurore, the sonic screwdriver buzzing in his hand, and Ysmay squealed for her father as she flew past Jay.

Dayton knelt and caught her in a tight hug, scolding her gently. "Where have you been," he murmured, "you were told not to go near the village again, little one."

"I know, Papa," she murmured, hugging him back, "I'm sorry, I wanted something to eat." She pointed to Jay, smiling brightly at her father with her small, pointed teeth. "I helped Jay, though. It was worth it."

"She most certainly did," Jay agreed, stepping up to the side of the bed the woman laid in. "Is this the woman who was attacked by Allister? The priest," she added to the Doctor, who nodded in understanding. Dayton's face darkened at the mention of him.

"How was Aurore hurt?" the Doctor demanded, changing the setting on his sonic screwdriver. "You said you didn't know how they did it, yes?"

"Yes." Dayton straightened, allowing his daughter to latch onto his leg as he watched the Doctor closely. The Doctor skimmed his sonic down the length of her throat. "I didn't arrive until it was too late."

"Jayden," the Doctor said sharply, and she scowled a little at his use of her full name. "Tell me, do you know what that priest - what Allister used to drug you?"

"Water," she said immediately, although she couldn't say she knew what they'd put in the drink. "I don't remember much else. Some things are kind of fuzzy. I remembered the story, but things closer to the time I passed out are more fuzzy than the rest. I can't remember if there was anything weird about the taste."

The Doctor spun around, facing her and she jerked back a little in alarm. She sputtered as he skimmed her expression with his eyes. "May I?" he said gesturing to her, and she looked at him in confusion, not sure what he wanted. Nevertheless, trusting him, Jay nodded. He put the sonic screwdriver between his teeth and rested his fingers gently over her temples.

She jolted a little, caught by surprise, but just as quickly, he was pulling away, equally as startled. "Doctor?" she questioned, and he quickly plastered a friendly smile onto his face as he pulled the sonic screwdriver from between his teeth. "Doctor, what was-"

"It's alright," he reassured, hastily turning away. His smile vanished the second he wasn't looking at her, and he focused entirely on Aurore. "I think this can be fixed. He might have used the same mixture on them both."

"Doctor!" Jay said sharply but he ignored her, continuing as if she'd not spoken at all.

"I just need to do a quick scan to make sure," the Doctor said, looking to Dayton. "Could you bring her to my TARDIS? I have a medical bay, we can check to make sure."

"You can help her?" Ysmay said hopefully, eyes widening with hope, and the Doctor nodded, raking his hand through his hair.

"Of course," he said, "I always help. Don't I always help, Jay?"

"You make a mess of things more often than not, to be honest, but you try," she sighed before adding, "Go ahead and get Aurore, I'll hold the door to the TARDIS open…" She glanced over her shoulder at the Doctor, frowning.

Someone was keeping secrets, and she couldn't say she liked it.

It didn't take much to get Aurore into the TARDIS. The young woman was easily carried by Dayton, who acted as if she weighed nothing as he did so. Jay kept out of the way, holding both doors open as best as she could. The Doctor took one for her when Dayton and Ysmay slipped in and Dayton faltered as he studied the ship curiously, but was quickly distracted when the Doctor ushered him down the corridor.

Jay stayed behind rather than following, patting the TARDIS doors after shutting and locking them, just to be safe. The TARDIS hummed her approval, her song swelling in Jay's head. "Thanks," she murmured, shaking out her wrists. After a moment of simply clearing her head, wondering just what the Doctor wasn't telling her, Jay took a deep breath and took off at a jog, figuring it was probably for the best that she stuck with everyone else for the time being.

The TARDIS guided her to where she needed to go with a series of cheerful hums, although Jay knew she could have found it without her help. She liked the TARDIS's determination anyways. By the time she'd finally gotten to the infirmary, the Doctor was already using one of the contraptions to scan Aurore. Dayton and Ysmay silently hovered nearby, Dayton's sharp eyes watching the Doctor's every move.

Jay ducked in silently, not saying a word. The Doctor was muttering under his breath as he worked over Aurore, who'd been placed on a table, still sound asleep. Jay thought it was a little freaky, to be honest, but pushed past it.

"So," she said at last, and wasn't at all insulted when no one looked her way, "Doctor. What's wrong with her?"

"Herbs," he said without looking up, "and something extra mixed in. Something someone shouldn't have had access to. They disguised it with herbs though." He glanced over at Jay, frowning. "You don't remember _any_ of the taste?"

"No," Jay said, thinking back. She smacked her lips a little, as if trying to gather any of the tastes back into her mouth with no luck. She squawked, however, when the Doctor suddenly lunged forward, grabbing her chin, a cotton swab in hand. "Doctor, what the hell!"

"Stick out your tongue, and go 'ah!'" he ordered, showing her what he meant by doing precisely that. Jay pouted, but stuck her tongue out for him to swab. The Doctor swiftly did it, not at all concerned by her discomfort as he spun back around.

A few minutes later, the Doctor gave a cry of triumph. "Ah-ha! I've got it! Some poppy mixed with chamomile and valerian, as well as a hint of something poisonous...not enough to kill, enough to knock out for a _good_ long while, combined with a potion someone really should not have known how to make."

"Great, so I've been poisoned again," Jay hissed grouchily, and it earned her a soft snort from the Doctor.

"You'll be fine," he told Jay, shuffling through the cabinets nearest him. He withdrew something alongside a syringe. Jay instinctively cringed away from the syringe, and Dayton began to grow agitated.

Dayton stepped forward as the Doctor set to work on filling the syringe with something Jay didn't recognize. "Doctor," he rumbled, "what is that?" His eyes flashed when the Doctor ignored him, stepping forward to inject Aurore with it. "Doctor." Flames curled around his lips furiously.

Without looking up, the Doctor spoke, working carefully. "Don't worry, this will wake her up. A cure for most poisons, particularly the common ones. I want to know where Allister got that poison, it shouldn't have been possible."

"Why?" Jay asked as he finished. "What is it?"

"Alien," the Doctor said. He withdrew and waved Dayton forward. "She should be awake in a few minutes if I'm right. If I wasn't, no harm will come to her. You have my word. Jay, with me," he ordered, briskly striding past her and out into the corridor. She followed him closely, frowning.

She caught his sleeve as they entered the control room, her eyes narrowed. " _Doctor_ , what did you do earlier?"

"Not now," he said firmly, ducking around for the screen. He spun it around and went to work, typing into the console. The Doctor and Jay peered at it. "There," he murmured after a few minutes, and she looked over his shoulder at what he pointed out. "See that? I scanned for other life forms besides humans and I only counted three."

"Right," Jay said, keeping up with what he was doing. "You, Ysmay, and Dayton, right?"

The Doctor only hesitated for a heartbeat before nodding. "Yes, right, the three of us. But look." He touched the monitor. "There's a _fourth_."

"Another? There's another alien here?" Jay threw her hands up, annoyed. "We really can't go anywhere without aliens popping up and causing trouble."

He chuckled. "I'll take you somewhere with no people next," he promised, doubting that anything would show up in such a place. The Doctor typed away a bit more, and then said, "He's not a Ganapri, and he's very clearly not one of _me_ …It might not even be him. It could be a piece of technology he found, simple as that."

"Is he like me?" Jay mused drily, snickering at herself. The Doctor didn't laugh, seeming to ignore her joke altogether as he looked closer. "So what is he?"

"A Zygon?" The Doctor squinted even further. "I don't know. Won't know until we go and see him in person actually...did you see anything, _anything_ that would distinguish it?"

"No," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Doctor."

"Oh, that's alright, we'll figure it out." He rocked back on his heels, pushing his hands through his hair again. "Come on, I want to check it out. We'll leave the Ganapri and Aurore here. Give her the chance to recover. We'll investigate Allister, and then, when that's done, we'll take the Ganapri and Aurore somewhere safe, where they can live in peace."

Jay was quiet for a few moments before she asid, "Okay, let's get a move on then." She looked to him, meeting his eyes. "I don't know what they're side of the story is, but it's clear to me that they deserve to get a break from the cruelty they've been shown. As a human, alongside Aurore, I want Dayton and Ysmay to see that not all of us are like that. That we're not all that cruel and evil. That some of us know kindness and show it to those who deserve it."

The Doctor looked distinctly proud of her for that comment, and quickly kissed her forehead. "Well said, Jay," he praised and then spun around. "Now, let's get going."

* * *

It didn't take long for the trio to be returned to the room they'd occupied for months. Jay wondered how Aurore hadn't starved, although the Doctor pointed out there were ways of keeping her going when you knew alien technology. Jay had accepted that and moved on quickly.

"This way," she said, clasping her hand in his as they always did and guiding him towards Allister's house. She kept a wary eye out, knowing that neither of them were very well-liked at all by the village. They wove through the outskirts with ease, Jay knowing precisely where she was going. Allister's place was an easy one to know. It was the far reaches, away.

She wondered why that was.

"There," Jay said suddenly, pointing when they found it. "That's the house."

He squeezed her hand before dropping it. "Stay close," the Doctor said and Jay nodded, gesturing for him to go ahead. She had no desire to get too close to the priest after being drugged by the guy.

The Doctor stopped at the door to the building and knocked. One knock, however, had the door creaking open. The Doctor and Jay exchanged wary looks before stepping through. The house had been wrecked, Jay realized, and she pressed her mouth into a hard line when she stepped around the very table she'd sat at. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver to scan the area with, and adjusted the settings as Jay said softly, "Someone ransacked this place, Doctor."

"Looks that way," he agreed. The buzzing of the sonic filled their ears. He turned around, frowning. "This way." He walked right back out and Jay hurried after him into the warm air. "The warmth," he said grimly, "it wasn't from the Ganapri."

"I would have thought it was," Jay said, confused. She could hear raised voices, nearing the further they went. "The castle they were in was warm-"

"Yes, but that's they're living space. The Ganapri cannot possibly produce such heat on their own. Their ships, however...they said they crashed. What if they didn't crash? What if they were forced down?"

Jay stared at him in surprise. "You think Allister had something to do with the crash? He has to be human then...right?"

"Not human," the Doctor said, stopping in the shadows of a hut as they reached the commotion. He and Jay stared grimly at the scene before them. "A cyborg."

"Like Bannakaffalatta," Jay breathed, staring at the metal beneath the priest's torn tunic. He was standing desperately before the crowd, a metal device clasped desperately in his hands.

"I'm one of you!" he was crying, and Jay wondered how the village had found out. "Look, I stole this from the demons! Our crops were failing, and-"

An outroar broke out. Several villagers shouted in response to his words, and Jay very quickly got the meaning of it: he was not considered one of them now, not with that metal keeping him alive. She grasped the Doctor's sleeve. "We should help him," she whispered.

"He drugged you with enough to kill you," the Doctor mused, studying her out of the corner of his eye with interest. "Why would you want us to help him?"

She knew the words were not meant to be cruel, merely calculating with regards to how she responded. "Is that what you were upset with earlier?" she demanded. "Did he really put that much in? How am I alive then?"

He picked up her wrist, tapping the blackened veins that criss-crossed a portion of her skin. "This. It's deadly, but...it burned out the poison, I believe."

"Good, for once, then," Jay muttered before bumping him gently with her shoulder. "Help him. They're literally going to burn him alive, Doctor." She gestured to the several torches that had seemed to appear in the mob's hands. "Please, Doctor. He's got to have a reason."

The Doctor searched her gaze before nodding his agreement, approval once more glinting in his eyes. "Alright, you're the witch, so you stay here."

Jay rolled her eyes. "Call me that again, and I'll hex you," she muttered, wiggling her fingers, and the Doctor flashed a grin before striding off to interfere. She remained where she was, anxiously leaning against the side of the building and watching. It took a few moments for the crowd to catch on, and Allister's face paled when he saw the Doctor purposely striding towards him.

"You!" cried the baker who'd nearly strangled her. Jay glared at him from where she stood. "You were with the demon and witch! You're a demon as well!"

"Time Lord," the Doctor corrected, and the wary Allister's eyes snapped to him, anxious. Jay briefly wondered if he knew what Time Lords were. Not every alien they'd come across knew. Jay bit her lip as he continued, speaking calmly to the villagers, "Now look, there's no need for further violence-"

"Demon." The word echoed through the crowd, and Jay could practically feel the violence preparing to rear its ugly head.

"Time Lord." The Doctor repeated it confidently and continued. "Again, think this through. You're not murderers. Just….scared. Scared of this man, and the...witchcraft he holds." He glanced back at Jay who rolled her eyes in amusement. Like she'd know how to speak with these people. "Let me take him. We're leaving. Let me and the others take him with us, and no demons or witches will ever bother you again."

There was no point in denying demons or witches for now, the Doctor decided. Excluding his determination for the "Time Lord" bit. He held his hands out calmingly. "Let me get him and the demons out of your hair."

The baker stepped forward, fists curled angrily, but he was put to a stop by a simple hand on his shoulder. A wary old woman had stepped forward. "And what of my Aurore?" she demanded. "What of my granddaughter?"

That was unexpected. The Doctor had forgotten of the family the human woman might have there.

"Alive." Jay spoke before she realized what she was doing, moving forward to join the Doctor. He kept a close eye on her some recoiled away. The baker curled a lip at her. "She's alive and well, and safe," she added kindly to the worried woman. "And...from what it looks like, she'll be happy and taken care of. Whether you think she's fallen to demons or whatever...she'll be happy."

The old woman studied them, and others watched her. A leader of some sorts, the Doctor guessed, patting Jay's shoulder silently. She bumped him again, pleased that she'd helped. Finally the old woman said, "She will not return?" She paused. "Will she be hurt again?"

"Madame," a man murmured, but she silenced him, staring at the pair expectantly.

"No," the Doctor told her, "I'm sure she won't. As Jay said. She'll be happy, from what we've seen." He'd not seen much of Dayton, had yet to meet the woman while she was awake, but...there had been a deep affection in Dayton for the woman, a kindness towards her. Ysmay had loved her, as he'd loved his own family so long ago.

Aurore would undoubtedly be happy.

"Then punish this man accordingly," the woman said, and ordered her fellow villagers aside. Allister fled to join the pair, and Jay sneered a little at him. _Coward._ "Ensure that this does not happen again here, strange man."

The Doctor smiled at her, finding that he liked her. "You have my word." Not that he'd be able to stop anything he knew nothing about, but he could try. He gave a final nod and turned away, losing his smile immediately. He didn't _like_ Allister. Anyone who'd tried to murder one of his companions, one of his _friends_ , was someone who deserved to be dropped off in a black hole.

But Jay had asked for mercy, and he wasn't that kind of man.

So they'd figure something else out, he supposed.

* * *

Rather than going straight back for the Ganapri and Aurore, the Doctor dealt with Allister first. He came back into the TARDIS, where Jay waited, wiping his hands, and Jay, perched on the captain's seat, cocked her head. "Well?"

The TARDIS door closed behind him, and the Doctor flashed Jay a smile. "The people of this planet are fair, and will judge him for his crimes. I know them from a while back, and they trust my word. He'll be punished and sent back out into the universe somewhere.

"Good. I should have punched him." Jay hopped to her feet, gesturing to the device he'd abandoned. "What is that?"

The Doctor began to direct the TARDIS as he spoke, not bothering to look up as he explained. "It's what created the heat. He was horrible to the Ganapri, to Aurore. But he did care for that village. He created a bubble in which crops would thrive. He controlled the weather as he saw fit. By this time tomorrow, that village will likely be buried in snow."

"I hope they survive," Jay murmured.

"They will. Humanity thrives in all conditions, somehow."

When they'd rejoined Dayton, Aurore, and Ysmay, the three were waiting for them. The pretty blonde woman stood, leaning against Dayton to keep her balance, bleary hazel eyes confused, but warm nonetheless when Dayton introduced them to her and her to them.

"Thank you," Aurore said in a husky voice, "for all that you've done." She smiled faintly at Jay, who winked playfully, bouncing on the balls of her feet and shook out her arms. "Dayton tells me that you are from the stars as well."

"Well," Jay started, but the Doctor merely nodded. "Yes," he told her. "We travel through the stars...would you like a lift to somewhere else? All three of you?"

Ysmay's eyes widened. "You'd do that?" the girl whispered, clutching at Aurore's skirts. Dayton's sharp eye watched over them both, as if concerned that both would disappear. Aurore, smiled down at her, touching her head as Jay had a few times.

"Of course," the Doctor said, giving her a warm look. There was a soft look in his eyes that he usually reserved for children, and it made Jay smile. "You and your family will have a safe home. I promise."

"Thank you," Aurore said, tears rising in her eyes. " _Thank you_."

* * *

"Will they be happy here?" Jay asked softly, watching as Aurore guided a laughing Ysmay into a beautiful meadow of wheat so gold, it made Jay's hair look dull. She and the Doctor hung back as Dayton followed the two with the first true smile either had seen him wear. Both leaned against the TARDIS, side-by-side.

"Oh, I should think so," he murmured, wrinkling his brow a little. "This planet is inhabited by a peaceful species that'll eventually find them. They've been known to take in a stray person or two."

"I hope they're happy here," Jay said as if he'd not spoken, giving him a taste of his own medicine. She tapped a finger against her arm after folding them across her chest tightly. "They deserve it, and Aurore deserves some time to recuperate. I'd need to recuperate after that." She tapped her finger again, thoughtful.

The Doctor glanced at her, and then back after the disappearing group. They watched in silence for a few minutes before he suddenly seemed to bounce, turning around. "Well," he said, tongue curling around the world. "Let's go, shall we? Places to see, people to meet-"

"Trouble to get into," Jay finished with a shake of her head, sighing softly. "Alright, but seriously. I want a peaceful trip this time. If there's trouble, we walk the other way."

Not.

Jay knew without a doubt that such a thing wouldn't happen, and the TARDIS agreed with a hum as she shut the door behind her.

* * *

 _Sorry about the wait! Hope everyone liked this chapter! I thought to do a Sleeping Beauty twist, and like how this turned out. :)_

 _Next...either "Planet of the Dead" or Donna!_

 _Thanks to reviewers_ _(bored411, Catlorde, lautaro94, Miriam Who, and Lil'Sparrow7!) and those who favorited and followed! I appreciate it more than you know!_


	17. Partners in Crime

"Are you sure this is the place?" Jay asked as she strode down the crowded street with the Doctor, her fingers latched onto his sleeve so that she didn't get separated from the Time Lord. He barely took notice, hands shoved into the pockets of his trench coat. Jay found herself jogging a little to keep up.

"That's what the signal said." He stopped suddenly to eye a rather large building. Jay bumped into him, jostled by people going past. He steadied her casually, as if it was a common thing, and she studied the building, too. "Getting both of us in will be a little difficult, but we'll manage."

"I could wait out here," she offered. Jay wrinkled her nose, not fond of the idea even though she'd suggested it. She tucked her hair behind her ear, the strands brushing along her jaw. She glanced to him again, waiting for his answer.

The Doctor debated it, then shook his head. "No need, come on." He guided her around a street corner, heading for the building that was the headquarters of the supposed Adipose Industries. The pair had been enjoying a simple meal at Jay's request when the Doctor had picked up odd signals from nearby. From that building, apparently.

"Here," the Doctor said, tossing her something. Jay caught it nimbly, studying the psychic paper he'd thrown to her. "Hold onto that." She flashed him a smile, promising, and then helped block anyone from seeing him unlock the fire-exit door they'd hunted down with the sonic screwdriver. "Hah!" he muttered, opening it. They swiftly ducked in, the Doctor locking it behind them. They followed the cement-floored hallway they'd found until they emerged into a busy space, full of workers buzzing his way and that.

Jay tugged at the sleek black jacket she'd donned for the excursion. "I don't look nearly fancy enough for this," she muttered. "Neither do you for that matter," she added, tugging at his sleeve.

He sent her a small protesting look. "I like my suit, thank you very much. Incoming," he added, suddenly looking serious as a security guard began to approach them. He was clad entirely in black and looked very menacing as he looked at them. "Hello!" the Doctor chirped. "John Smith, Health and Safety! And this is my good friend and partner, Jay O'Connors."

Jay handed over the psychic paper willingly, and flashed her biggest, brightest smile at the security guard. "Hello," she hummed. "We're very busy and on a schedule, so if you don't mind-"

"Sure, sure," the security guard said, waving them onward after handing the psychic paper back to her.

Jay tucked away the paper. "Thank you, sir," she said and flashed him a final smile before starting forward again with the Doctor. He looked around as they walked, finding nothing too out of the ordinary. Then again, they'd seen more ordinary things turn into odd happenings. "So where to first?" she asked.

"There," he said, pointing to where a bunch of people were ducking into some type of auditorium. Beside it read a sign that said, _Presentation on the Adipose Pill_. "But you and I will be going up _there_." His finger moved to indicate an employee's only door. "Behind the scenes, less likely to be noticed. Come on." The Doctor started forward without hesitation, leaving Jay to scramble after him.

It took them minutes to get up to the projector room, which was already playing a clip from a video with no sign of an employee. Good for them, Jay supposed, peering out the window as the Doctor scanned the room carefully. "Doctor," she murmured, gesturing for him to listen to the clip that had been playing in the auditorium below.

 _"-composed of a synthesized mobilizing lipase, bound to a large protein molecule,"_ the clip declared as the Doctor joined her, looking over her shoulder. Jay didn't understand a single word of what was being said, but the Doctor seemed fascinated by what was going on. _"The mobilizing lipase breaks up the triglycerides stored in the adipose cells, which then enter-"_

"You shouldn't be up here," a voice suddenly interrupted, and Jay and the Doctor both spun around. An employee had found them, a man who was clearly meant to be working the projector. Jay flashed him a faint smile, and the Doctor hastily elbowed her as he spoke.

"Hi there, Health and Safety," the Doctor said smoothly, and Jay presented the psychic to the employee without hesitation, glaring at her friend for the bruises that would likely form on her ribs. She shook out a wrist as she waited for the employee to finish studying the psychic paper. Finally, he handed it back, looking relieved.

"It says you have a solid amount of knowledge on technology, that's great! The projector, it glitches every now and then…"

* * *

It took some time for the Doctor and Jay to escape the employee. When they did, it was Jay who suggested they visit some of the lesser employees, to hear what they might say. She had no doubt that they would be the ones to give away important information without thinking about it. The Doctor agreed and together, they somehow managed to find their way into a call center.

The Doctor did a quick skim of various employees and found the one who seemed the most distracted. She was a confident looking woman, who was speaking into a headset, with dark hair that had been gathered into a bun. She was chattering away about something or another, and she she barely took notice of them as they ducked into her office-like area. _Clare_ , read her name tag.

"We deliver within three working days," she was telling the person she was on the phone with. She glanced at the two who'd appeared.

"John Smith and Jay O'Connors," the Doctor whispered, "Healthy and Safety." She blinked at the pair. "Don't mind us."

Clare smiled a little too brightly at the Doctor, and then hastily continued her conversation, still on the phone as she began fishing around in her desk for something. Jay and the Doctor exchanged curious looks. Suddenly, she offered something to them, a single necklace of sorts. "It's made of eighteen carat gold," she said, "and it's yours for free." She paused, suddenly frowning and speaking into the phone. "No, we don't give away pens, sorry. No, I can't make an exception."

"Thanks," Jay said softly, taking it from her. She cradled the odd capsule-looking pendant in her palm and showed it to the Doctor. He leaned in to look, peering curiously at it. Jay had no doubts that the Doctor would scan it with _something_ at a later point in time.

The Doctor waved for Jay to pocket it and then requested, "Would you be willing to print off a list of your customers?"

"Of course," said Clare, beaming. She went right to work. "The printer's over there." She pointed.

"I'll get it," Jay said, climbing to her feet. "By that plant over there, right?"

"Right," Clare said.

Before Jay could go anywhere, however, a voice that she distantly recognized filled her ears, "Excuse me, everyone, if I could have your attention!" The Doctor hastily yanked Jay back down into hiding as a stern-looking woman entered the area, two men in black on either side of her. She hissed a little when her arm sent a stab of pain through her. Clare ignored them both, swiftly standing straight.

"Sh!" he shushed, putting a finger to his lips, and both listened intently as the woman began to speak.

"On average," she said, her voice echoing around them, "you're each selling forty Adipose packs per day. It's not enough." Jay sent the Doctor a questioning look; forty seemed enough to her. "I want one hundred sales per person per day. And if not, you'll be replaced. Because if anyone is good in trimming the fat, it's me. Now. Back to it."

The Doctor gave it a minute before letting go of Jay as Clare dropped back into her seat, concerned with this new information. She still smiled at the Doctor as he asked her to print the list off a second time. Clare obliged, and the Doctor waved for Jay to go and fetch it. She rolled her eyes, but did just that.

Jay strode past various cubicles, ignoring the people who spoke into headsets. When she reached the printer, she found another woman standing there. Jay paused to take notice of her, cocking her head. A distant song seemed to come from this strange woman's head, and Jay studied her closely.

She looked to be in her forties, with red hair and a confident set to her shoulders. Jay withdrew a step, narrowing her eyes. Something about her...she took a deep breath and then pushed past the odd feelings that flooded her, instead smiling in a friendly manner. "Hello," she said. "Are you waiting on the printer, too?"

The woman smiled at her, offering a surprisingly friendly yet tight smile. "Yeah."

Jay bounced on the balls of her feet as the printer began to spit out a piece of paper, shaking her arms out some more. It was creeping, she realized, into her elbows, maybe higher. "Oh! Here we go," Jay said as the printer spat out a piece of paper. She checked the page without hesitation, plucking it up. "Alright, got what I needed. Have a good day." She flashed the woman a smile and then darted back down the path between cubicles to get to the Doctor, who was beginning to stand.

Jay paused just once to look back over her shoulder at the woman, who took a piece of paper from the printer and left, and then tapped the Doctor's shoulder, passing the paper she'd taken to him. "Got it," she said as he took it.

The Doctor skimmed over the list briefly and then folded the paper. He tucked it the inside of his trench coat and said, "Alright, Jay, let's go."

"Oh!" Clare suddenly stopped them when they turned to leave, passing something to the Doctor. He frowned, looking down at the scrap of paper. "My number," she said with a smile, eyes twinkling up at the Doctor. "Health and Safety. You be health, I'll be safety."

"Ah," the Doctor sputtered and Jay choked out a cough to cover her laughter. "I...err-"

"Let's go," Jay snickered, and pulled the Doctor away.

* * *

"Jay!" Jay sleepily pried her eyes open, half-asleep in the seat she'd found in the depths of the TARDIS library. She'd decided against joining the Doctor in interviewing a dozen or so people about the Adipose Industries business, and had instead curled up on a seat with a book.

The Doctor called her name a second time, his voice distant enough to tell her that he was in the control room. Jay stumbled to her feet, feeling twinges of pain race through her limbs, like she'd stepped on needles, and proceeded to ignore it as she made her way into the corridor. She followed it back to where the Doctor was yelling for her again, this time earning an annoyed hum from the TARDIS.

"I'm here," she grouchily said, glaring at him. She tripped her way over to the captain's seat without another word, dropping into it and rubbing her temples. "What is it that you want?"

The Doctor paused, studying her closely. "Are you alright?" he said, slowing his frenzied pacing to a halt.

"Not really, but I'll manage." Jay leaned forward, sliding her hands down her face. "What is it? Did you find something?"

"The fat just walks away," the Doctor said, echoing the words they'd heard from the projector earlier that day. He strode over to join her on the captain's seat, dropping down beside her. "Do you have the gold capsule we received?"

She nodded, digging around and handing it over. She watched him fish in his pocket and produce a magnifying glass. "What is it?" she asked.

"A bio-flip digital switch," he said, rocking forward eagerly.

"Which is?"

Rather than answering, the Doctor sprang back to his feet. "We need to get going," he declared, practically dancing around the console to send it into motion. Jay leaned back, gripping the seat expertly in preparation. He proudly flipped a lever and off they went, into the time vortex. The TARDIS shuddered and the Doctor waited until they'd landed to check the screen, ensuring they were where they needed to be. Confident, he bounced back over to Jay, sitting beside her a second time.

"Doctor," she said before he could say a word. "There was this...this woman. At the printer earlier." He glanced at her, interested. "You know how I hear songs? She had one, coming from her head. She was different from everyone else in there…" She furrowed her brow, her blue eyes darkening with thought. "There was something about her...she's important. I don't know how, but she's important."

"We'll find her after we're done with Adipose Industries," the Doctor promised, frowning. Several times, she'd heard such songs, and it concerned him. He couldn't even hear such things, not on the level she could, and he was a _Time Lord_.

She arched a brow questioningly when he suddenly began to eye her critically, studying her as if she was a new kind of alien he'd never come across. "Well?" she said, waving to him. "What?"

"How long?" he suddenly asked, entirely serious. He was debating something, she realized.

"I've got some time. It hurts, but I can run if I need to," Jay said in response, kicking a leg thoughtfully to test it. It made her grimace a little. "Why? What's our plan? Something's clearly going on that needs to be stopped, Doctor, so what do you want me to do?"

Usually, she would have pushed for him to let her go with him, as she normally did, but...she didn't want to purposely put them at risk with something like this. Realistically the attacks weren't very long, but they could happen at any moment and she tended to be unable to run right after.

Jay tapped her fingers on her leg as she waited for her friend to answer. Finally, he said, "I want to infiltrate the building. We'll have a few hours of waiting. I'm going to hide out until everyone leaves, and then sneak up to the top floor and see what's in there."

"That's a plan," Jay said, nodding and not saying whether it was a good plan or a bad one. She leaned back a little in the seat, slouching comfortably. She shook her wrists almost mindlessly, grateful when the needles let up a little. "I can do that. As long as there's no one in there that we need to worry about, I think I'll be fine. No running if we can avoid it."

"I'll do my best." The Doctor flashed her a cheeky smile and then prodded her arm gently, handing the capsule back to her. "Don't lose this, we're going to need it later," he told her. Jay nodded and put it around her neck. "Now," he said confidently. "Let's get hiding."

* * *

"This," Jay seethed, peering nervously over the side of the massive Adipose Industries building, "is quite possibly one of the worst ideas you've ever had, Doctor." The cars beneath were like ants, and she could see for miles around them. The tops of other buildings seemed too far away for her liking.

He shushed her, sonic screwdriver clamped between his teeth as he fidgeted with the controls to the machine that was used to lift and lower those who washed the windows of the building. Jay felt a little dizzy at the idea of getting into it, remembering what had happened back on the _Titanic_. Taking hold of his sonic screwdriver, he hopped down into it, glancing at her.

"You can stay here," he decided. "It wouldn't be good for you to have an attack in here."

"Fine by me," she said, backing away from the edge. Her brow furrowed with concern as she watched the Doctor closely. "Be careful, you hear me?"

"No promises," he said in response. The Doctor winked, clicking his tongue playfully, and then lowered the machine with his sonic. Jay peered back over the edge just to make sure nothing broke and he found himself plummeting to his death. He'd mentioned previously that Time Lords didn't necessarily die, but she didn't want him to display such things today.

The Doctor stopped eventually at a series of windows and ducked down. Jay took a few steps back again, determined to stay there until the Doctor came back. She didn't bother to sit down despite the pain forming in her feet, and merely lifted a leg to rub at her calf with a grimace. _Ouch_.

She should have stayed in the TARDIS, she decided.

A sudden gasp from below had her quickly rushing to peer cautiously over the edge. "Doctor!" she called softly, worried she'd be heard by some unfriendly creatures. It seemed to happen far too often for her liking.

He was paying no attention. She squinted. Was that a stethoscope in his ears? It sure looked like a stethoscope in his ears. He'd pressed the metal piece against the window to listen in on whoever was in there - meaning, she was sure, that someone _was_ in there.

"Doctor!" she hissed again, and he glanced up. He wasn't too far below, and he waved her off before focusing on whatever was going on down there. She huffed, sitting back to wait. She was waiting a few minutes before the Doctor suddenly shouted. "Run!"

"Here we go," Jay said under her breath, seeing the machinery launch into action. She tensed her muscles ready to bolt, and the Doctor didn't disappoint. The second the lift had returned, he was springing over the side, sonic screwdriver in hand. "Doctor!" Jay said sharply and he paused to look at her, somewhat exasperated. "Trouble?"

A somewhat silly smile flickered over his face. "Trouble," he echoed, holding out a hand and playfully wiggling his fingers. Jay smiled and took hold of his hand. They tore off as fast as they could, descending down a flight of stairs after throwing the door to the roof open.

"Are you going to tell me what happened down there?" Jay called as they thundered down the stairs. "What were you freaking out about?"

They sprinted down a hall, flying around a corner, and rather than answering, the Doctor yelped as they ran right into someone. He dropped Jay's hand in favor of gripping the arms of the startled woman, who gripped his forearms in response. "Donna!" he cried, grinning in a pleased way that told Jay he'd seen the woman before - as if the name hadn't been give away.

"Doctor!" the woman - Donna, the Doctor had called her - said happily in response. "Oh, my God! I don't believe it!" The Doctor beamed when she threw her arms around him a big hug. He hugged her back with a delighted laugh. "You've even got the same suit!" she gasped. "Do you ever change?" Jay suddenly caught her attention and she sputtered. "You! I saw you earlier!"

" _You_ ," Jay echoed, stunned.

"Who are you?" Donna asked, cocking her head a little, and the Doctor suddenly grimaced as a pair of guards, the same who'd been with the boss lady earlier in the day, Jay realized, suddenly came running down the hall.

"Not now," the Doctor decided. "Back up!" He pushed both women, and they took off at a dead sprint, heading back for the roof. Jay winced with each step, but pushed past it as they clambered up several flights of stairs, heaving for air. Her blonde hair stuck to her forehead.

Donna couldn't seem to stop chattering as they slowed, the Doctor flinging the door to the roof open. He ducked through, ushering them out after him, and then closed and locked the door with his sonic screwdriver behind him.

"I thought," Donna said, bouncing almost, "'How do I find the Doctor?' And then, I just thought, look for trouble and then he'll turn up!" Jay snorted. That was a way to do it, and a very good way of doing it, she supposed. "So I looked everywhere! UFOs, sightings, crop circles, sea monsters. I looked, and I found them all! Like that stuff about the bees disappearing! I thought, 'I bet he's connected!' 'Cause the thing is, Doctor, I believe it all now. You opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the _Titanic_ flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day, I mean that's gotta be a hoax!"

Jay coughed to cover a laugh. "Try again," she murmured before flashing a smile. As the Doctor muttered, fiddling with the controls of the window-washing station, she offered Donna a hand. "Hi. I'm Jay O'Connors, a friend of the Doctor's. I travel with him."

"Donna," Donna said without hesitation, taking that hand and giving it a firm, confident shake. "Donna Noble. I'm glad to see he found someone." Jay cocked her head, a little confused by that, but didn't say anything, merely considered how the song seemed stronger in Donna's head for the moment. But she ignored it as the Doctor suddenly crawled onto the small platform.

"In you get!" he announced.

Donna and Jay immediately recoiled, horrified by the idea. Jay's hands trembled, remembering such a thing before. Donna glared at him. "In that thing?" she demanded. "But if we go down in that, they'll just call us back up again!"

"No, no, no," the Doctor said, indicating his sonic screwdriver. "I've locked the controls with a sonic cage. I'm the only one who can control it unless she's got a sonic device of her own. Which is _very_ unlikely."

"Oh, _fine_ ," Donna hissed and let him help her into platform. She gripped the railing nervously. Jay was already shaking her head when he turned to her, offering a hand.

"No way in hell," she gritted out, glaring at him. "Why do you always get us into things that are very clearly meant to kill us?"

He rolled his eyes, scowling a little in annoyance. He leaned out a little, gripping her wrist before she could back away. "Jay," he said warningly. "Not now." She shook her head. "It's not like last time, I promise, this is safe."

Jay made a wild gesture with her hands. "As if anything like this is safe," she seethed. "No, no, no way in hell, you can leave me up here to the mercy of-"

" _Jayden_ ," the Doctor snapped, cutting her off. She met his gaze evenly, nervous, and he studied her closely before softening a bit, feeling the way she trembled at the idea of getting in. "It won't fall," he said gently, releasing her wrist and instead offering his hand. "Trust me?"

She took a deep breath and then finally nodded, taking his hand willingly, still trembling, but looking more confident. "Always," she said fiercely and swung her legs over. She kept a tight grip on his hand as he lifted his sonic screwdriver. The window-washing station began to lower and a worried sound left her lips as it did. Donna took notice and gently took Jay's other hand, startling her. She flashed Jay a warm smile.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," she said kindly, "this twig won't kill us."

"Oi," the Doctor grumbled, although he didn't sound too upset.

Suddenly, the platform dropped. It plummeted a few feet, and Jay gasped as the Doctor yelped, immediately using the sonic screwdriver above their heads to try and stop it. The suddenly halt of the platform knocked all three to the floor and Jay grimaced. She was going to have bruises after they finished here.

Heart racing more than she thought possible, Jay scrambled to her feet, helping Donna up. "Doctor-"

"I'm working on it," he reassured hastily, sonicing the window they'd stopped beside. "Hold on, we can get in through the window - I can't get it open!" he cried a moment later, horrified. "Deadlocked!"

"You need to fix that stupid thing so that it handles deadlocks!" Jay spat, and then jumped when Donna nearly smacked her by accident with a heavy piece of metal.

Donna wielded it with far much too expertise for Jay's liking as she lifted it and smashed it against the window. "Smash it then!" she said sharply, trying again. Several more tries resulted in failure; Jay swore, earning a disapproving look from the Doctor as he backed away from the window, studying it to try and figure out what to do.

"Cutting the cable!" Donna suddenly alerted them, pointing up.

The Doctor's head snapped back and Jay took a tight grip on the railing in fear. She'd just barely snagged it when the cable above their heads suddenly snapped. Jay screamed along with Donna when the platform suddenly gave out on one side. The Doctor managed to snag a hold of the railing as well, but Donna's grab missed. "Donna!" Jay cried as she narrowly managed to snag a piece of metal connected to the broken cable. She dangled a dozen feet below them.

Jay could feel tears hot on her face, fear making her pull herself up a little bit to hold on tighter. Still, despite her fear, she helped the Doctor try to pull her up, but failed. "Hold on!" he shouted down to her.

"I am!" Donna barked back, furious.

The Doctor scowled, annoyed with all of the attitude being thrown his way, and then cranked his head back to stare up and see what was going on. He heard the distant buzzing, so similar to his own sonic device, and immediately reacted, knowing what the owner was going for. _Foster,_ the girl inside the room he'd been spying on had called her. He pressed the button on his own, making the other sonic device spark. "Jay," he said fiercely when it fell. She reached out and managed to snag it, shuddering as she hoisted herself up better.

"Try the window beside you," the Doctor called, struggling to pass his own to her. She took it, fingers nearly dropping it as they shook, and did as he said, pressing the button. The sonic screwdriver buzzed as she scanned it against the window's locks. "Yes!" he laughed when the window unlocked and she kicked at it until it opened. "Can you get in?"

"I'll get in, whether I can or can't," Jay said darkly. She tossed the sonic devices into the room and then reached desperately for the window with her free hand, hooking a foot in. She screeched when she ungracefully tumbled in, hitting the floor hard enough to drive the breath from her. She groaned, as the Doctor somehow managed to clamber in.

"Alright?" the Doctor said breathlessly, not taking a moment to even catch his breath. He straightened, tucking his sonic screwdriver and the new spare into his suit jacket's pocket. He offered his hands and helped her to her feet.

She grunted wordlessly and gestured to the window. " _Donna_."

The Doctor ran off and Jay followed suit. She ignored the cries of a woman who'd been tied up when they burst through a broken door into an office. Instead, she locked onto Donna's legs. The woman dangled just above the window, and the Doctor flew over to help her in, throwing the window open.

"Doctor," Jay said as she rushed over to help. The woman began to splutter furiously from her seat, and both ignored her as the Doctor took hold of Donna's legs. She screeched in fury and tried to kick him away.

"I've got you! Stop kicking!" he shouted up to her and she did as he said.

Donna's face was white by the time he and Jay had dragged her in. She looked more than relieved when her feet were planted on the solid floor of the office, and she gripped the Doctor's arms shakily. "I was right, it's always like this with you, isn't it?" Donna huffed, glaring at him a little, and the Doctor smiled hugely.

"Oh, yes," he said, spinning on his heel. "And off we go! Come on, Jay!"

"I told you no running today!" she snarled as she followed him out of the office. The Doctor backtracked to let the tied up woman go for just a minute, but then they tore off again. Jay scrubbed drying tears from her face as she thundered down a flight of stairs and sprinted through the call center aisles they'd seen earlier that day, where Clare had worked.

The cubicles seemed endless, she was thinking when the Doctor and Donna suddenly stopped, and Jay grunted when she ran right into the Doctor. She let him steady her as she realized that they'd been cut off. The woman and her two guards from earlier in the day were standing there, and none of them looked very pleased. The woman's silver hair was somewhat frizzed from bustling about in her stilettos as she removed her glasses and studied them calmly, not looking the least bit concerned about them. Instead, she looked interested. "Well then," she murmured, "at last."

"Hello there." The Doctor didn't look the least bit concerned as he smiled broadly at them. He pushed his hands into the pockets of his trench coat and rocked back on his heels, giving off every show of being friendly. Jay knew better, however, and kept a close eye on him, ready to pull him back if need be. "Nice to meet you. I'm the Doctor And this is Jay, and this is Donna."

"Partners in crime," the woman said, eyes drifting between each of the three that were interfering with her work. Her face hardened with dislike. "And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology."

"Oh, yes, I've still got your sonic pen." He removed it from his pocket, showing it to Donna and then to Jay. "Sleek, it's kinda sleek." He handed it to Jay for her to look at.

"Definitely sleek," Donna agreed, and Jay eyed her with amusement, wondering just who in the world Donna Noble really was.

Ignoring the pair going on about the sleek sonic pen, Jay cleared her throat and asked with false politeness, "And what's your name?" The woman lifted her chin in surprise at the question.

"Matron Cofelia of the Five-Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class," she said coldly.

The Doctor's eyes lit with understanding and he rocked back again. "A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates." Jay and Donna both wrinkled their nose in distaste at that, fairly sure that there'd been no consent given for the humans to be used in such a way.

"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost. Politics are none of my concern, naturally, I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."

"Lost?" Jay said, looking to the Doctor. He looked just as puzzled as she did. "How do you lose a planet, Doctor?"

"I don't know," he said under his breath to his companion before looking over when Donna suddenly spoke.

"What, so you're like an outer space supernanny?" Donna furrowed her brow in thought. "So...so those little things. They're...they're made out of fat, yeah, but that woman, Stacy Campbell...there was nothing left of her!" Donna put her hands on her hips, worried about whatever had happened to the woman. She'd gone to investigate, and had instead come out with a missing woman and no idea of what to do.

"Oh, in a crisis, the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little sick, poor things," Cofelia said sympathetically, patting strands of hair into place. She ignored the look of disgust that appeared on Donna's face, the horror at the lack of care for the humans.

The Doctor had lost any semblance of kindness at that. His gaze darkened as he said warningly, "Seeding a level five planet is against galactic law." When Cofelia turned an accusing look on him, suspecting that he was threatening her, the Doctor said quietly, "I'm trying to help you, Matron." Jay pressed her lips together, recognizing his tone of voice. He did this regularly, when they were facing against monsters and evil creatures or people. She knew what he was going to say before he say it, and she had no doubt about what was going to happen in return. "This is your one chance, 'cause if you don't call this off, then I'll have to stop you."

"I hardly think you can stop bullets," Cofelia said in response, quite smug about it. The moment she'd spoke, the guards on either side of her lifted their guns.

Instinctively, the Doctor swept Jay back, putting an arm protectively in front of Donna after doing so. "No, hold on, hold on," he said, repeating the phrase a few more times. "One more thing, before...dying." He made a face, not too pleased with that idea. He put his hands behind his back, suddenly smiling broadly. He wiggled his fingers, catching Jay's attention. She caught on and hastily slid the sonic pen into his hand. "Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?"

Cofelia paused, caught by surprise. "No."

"Nor me," the Doctor said, grinning broadly and ripping his own from his suit jacket pocket. "Let's find out!" Without hesitation, he pointed both of the sonic devices at each other and pressed the buttons. Jay and Donna both immediately slapped their hands over their ears as the worst sound either had ever heard ricocheted though the air. Cofelia and the guards cried out as a pane of glass shattered over them, sprinkling with them with shards.

Donna, losing patience, shoved the Doctor so that he stopped. "Come on!" she snapped, and then turned and ran the other way. The Doctor pushed Jay after her, and the trio vanished out of the call center.

"You said no running," Jay cried as they bolted down a deserted corridor. It was cold, unfeeling, gray. The Doctor ignored her protests as he nearly slammed through a door, studying his sonic screwdriver. "This way." He darted for the back of the room and practically tore off a cabinet door. " _Here_ we are!" he cried.

"Doctor," Jay said desperately, heaving for air. Her knees buckled beneath her, and Donna caught her elbow, slowing her fall with a frown. The Doctor paid them no attention.

"Hacking into this thing is important. The matron's gota computer core running through the center of the building. Triple deadlocked, and now I've got this! I can get into it!" He held the sonic pen up proudly.

"Jay?" Donna asked anxiously as she desperately shook out her arms, trying to get rid of the sudden rush of pins and needles. "Doctor, what's wrong with her?"

The Doctor spun around immediately, dark eyes snapping wide. "Jay!" he echoed, abandoning what he was doing.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Jay wheezed, shaking her arms still. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm okay. It's not...I'm okay for now. We have to stop with the running." She smiled faintly at Donna, waving the Doctor back to his actions.

He hesitated, studying her, but decided that he needed to figure everything out with the matron before focusing his attention elsewhere. Reluctantly, he turned back to his work and ordered, "Donna, keep an eye on Jay."

Donna nodded. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asked Jay kindly as Jay ran a hand through her hair, fighting to catch her breath still.

"Fine, fine," Jay repeated, curling her legs to her chest. "Thanks, Donna."

Silence fell as Donna stood between she and the Doctor, ready to help either if she could. The Doctor worked furiously on the cables, messing with them. It was as he was working that Donna suddenly spoke, addressing him quietly. "You look older." The Doctor snorted softly, muttering a thanks, and she added just as softly, "How long were you alone?"

Jay's gaze shot to Donna, curious, and the Doctor paused before continuing with what he was doing. "Not long. Before Jay, there was this woman...our friend, Martha she was called. Martha Jones. She was brilliant….and I destroyed half her life. But she's fine, good. Gone."

"Hey," Jay said firmly, "Martha doesn't blame you for all of that, and she knew what she was getting into. Besides, you saved my life several times over, so there's that."

"There's that," the Doctor agreed, throwing her a warm look.

"What about Rose?"

Jay focused all of her attention onto Donna, caught entirely by surprise. She knew Rose? Knew _of_ Rose, Jay corrected, noting the distinct lack of familiarity on Donna's face. She'd heard of Rose, just as Jay had, but hadn't known her personally. Jay was somewhat disappointed; she wanted to hear more about Rose, who she'd been, but she didn't want to ask the Doctor in case it drudged up old grief and hurt.

The Doctor took a moment to respond, said grief flickering over his features before it was gone. "Still lost." He took a deep breath, snapping something. "I thought you were going to travel the world?"

"Easier said than done," Donna laughed softly, sounding sad about it. Jay shoved herself to her feet, taking her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. She'd only known Donna for a short amount of time, most of which had been spent running, but she liked her a lot. "It's like that one day with you and I was gonna change. I was gonna do so much.

"Then I woke up next morning. Same old life. It's like you were never there...I tried, I did try. I went to Egypt. I was gonna go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water. Two weeks later, you're back home. It's...it's nothing like being with you. I must have been mad, turning down that offer."

"Offer?" Jay asked softly, although she was already guessing what the Doctor had offered Donna.

"To go with him," she explained.

The confused Jay understood in an instant. The Doctor must have met Donna before he'd met Martha. Before Martha had joined him. But after Rose, for certain. And she'd turned down the invitation to travel with him, regretting it immensely afterwards.

The Doctor paused to throw Donna a surprised look over his face. "You'd come with me?" he said, startled, and then quickly corrected, "With us?" Donna nodded hesitantly, offering a hopeful smile, and the Doctor's expression shifted to one of happy amusement.

"Right," he murmured, and then focused when the space before him spoke in a computerized voice.

 _"Inducer activated."_

Both Donna and Jay scooted forward to join him, peering over his shoulder. "What's it doing now?" Donna asked, eyes locked on the mess of cables the Doctor had created.

"She's started the program." The Doctor dug around furiously, as if trying to find something in the mess without knowing precisely what he was looking for. He threw things over his shoulder without looking and nearly whacked them several times in the process. The Doctor spoke between clenched teeth as he did so. "So far they were just losing weight, but the Matron has gone up to emergency pathogenesis. Which is when they convert skeletons, organs, everything. Million people...all dead! We've gotta cancel the signal."

He suddenly whirled on Jay. "That capsule-"

"Here." She ripped it from around her neck, snapping the golden chain without hesitation. She pressed the capsule into his waiting hands and he quickly began to take it apart, revealing a chip that resided in the end of it. "What is that?" Jay asked, looking up at him.

"This contains a primary signal," the Doctor explained to them as he went to work on hooking it up to the machinery he'd been messing with. He kept his eyes on his work as he spoke, distracted. "If I can switch it off, the fat goes back to being just fat." Before he could get too far, however, the computerized voice announced that the inducer was increasing. "No, no, no, no!" the Doctor cried, frustrated. "She's doubled it! I need...I haven't got the time! It's too far, I can't override it!"

Jay's heart missed a beat as he raked his hands through his spiked hair, the dark strands even messier than normal. "They're all going to die," she breathed.

"Is there anything we can do?" Donna followed Jay's question up. Her eyes blazed with determination when the panicking Doctor shook his head, claiming it was far beyond their capabilities. That they needed to double the base pulse, whatever that was. "Doctor, tell me what you need," Donna snapped fiercely, cutting him off.

He nearly exploded, crying loudly, "I need a second capsule to boost the override, but we've only got the one!"

Donna stilled and Jay looked to her in confusion when a slight smile crept across her face. "Donna?" Jay whispered, and Donna's smile widened as she reached for her pocket, withdrawing the very same golden capsule from it. She dangled it in the air and cleared her throat to catch the Time Lord's attention. He glanced at her, and then stared in shock at the second golden capsule she'd offered.

"Donna!" he cried in delight, snatching it from her. He did as he'd done with the first, attaching it to the machinery, and within seconds, everything had shut down. "Genius!" he declared, kissing Donna's head. She beamed in pride, brushing off her purple flowing shirt so that the fabric shimmered. His smile faded a little when he looked to Jay. "Can you run?"

"I'll manage," she said simply, shaking out her wrists.

Before they could leave, the computer he'd shut off suddenly spoke. " _Incoming signal,"_ it announced and was followed by a series of words in a language Jay couldn't understand. Confusing, she thought, considering the fact that the TARDIS translated everything for them… "Hang on," the Doctor murmured when Donna insisted they get moving, "instructions from the Adiposian First Family….she's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post...oh. Ooh. We're not the ones in trouble now."

"She is?" Jay guessed, and he nodded. "What do we need to do?" she said calmly, and he glanced at her in surprise before smiling proudly at her lack of willingness to outright let someone be killed - unless they were truly evil, of course.

"Roof," he declared, earning simultaneous groans of protest from Donna and Jay as he took off at a jog for the room's door, and then down the corridor. The pair followed him at a swift walk, neither wanting to run. Donna was reluctant to leave Jay alone, not knowing what was wrong with her when something clearly was, and Jay didn't want to run period.

They caught up to him on the roof, and when they did, the Doctor was standing near the edge, watching beams of light carry small creatures into the air, towards a massive circular ship that hovered above the city of London. "Are those-"

"Adipose," the Doctor finished, confirming her thoughts. Jay studied them closely, smiling a little. They made her ill to look at, looking every ounce the fat they were made of, but at the same time...they were rather cute, she thought. She could easily hold one in her palm.

"What are you gonna do then? Blow them up?" Donna suddenly asked the Doctor, who grimaced at her question. Jay frowned at her.

"They're just children," he said softly, echoing what Jay was thinking. "They can't help where they come from."

"Oh, that makes a change from last time." Donna nodded in approval, as if she'd been worried he'd answer yes to her question. "That Martha must have done you good. Jay, too," she added, flashing Jay a warm look. Jay smiled, proud. She liked to think she helped the Doctor where she could, although she didn't think she'd been all that useful so far that day.

"Ah, Martha," the Doctor hummed. "She did. She fancied me," he added to Donna, and Jay rolled her eyes. "Fancying" the Doctor had done Martha little to no good and had only caused her pain.

"She must have been mad," Donna snorted, making Jay's lips quirk. She suddenly began waving as an Adipose floated past them, waving. Jay joined in, waving back, as did the Doctor, and Donna suddenly said, voice full of awe, "I'm waving at _fat_."

The Doctor chuckled and then suddenly pointed, saying, "There she is!" He started for the edge of the roof, moving carefully when he grew close. "Matron Cofelia, listen to me!" he called to her as she rose through the air the same way the Adipose had been doing. The masses were starting to thin out, many gathered into the ships.

"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor," Cofelia denied, practically purring. "And if I never see you again, it will be too soon."

"Why does no one ever listen to me?" the Doctor snapped rather crossly, and Jay muttered under her breath in response, "Because you ramble far too much."

It earned her a small glare before the Doctor continued. "I'm trying to help. Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?" She glared at him accusingly, worried that he'd arrest her, and the Doctor pushed on, trying to convince her. "I saw the Adiposian instructions, Matron, they know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. They want to get rid of their accomplice!"

"I'm far more than that," she denied, sneering at him for such a suggestion. She gestured to the last of the Adipose reaching the ship above. "I'm nanny to all of these children."

"Exactly!" Jay coaxed, stepping forward to try and help. She eyed the edge of the roof anxiously. "They've got their children. Why would they need your-"

Before she'd finished speaking, the light that had been transporting the Adipose and Cofelia into the air disappeared, and she suddenly plummeted. She screamed as she fell and Jay plunged forward, as if she'd be able to get to her in time to keep her from falling. Before she could take more than a step, however, she collapsed, pain slamming through her.

"Oh, my God!" Donna cried, darting forward as the Doctor immediately dropped down beside her, checking to make sure she was okay. He tapped Jay's cheek gently to see if she'd respond, but the young woman's eyes rolled blankly, unseeing. When he checked her pulse, he didn't find one, and he grimly murmured, "It'll be over soon, just hold on a few more moments, Jay."

"Is she okay?" Donna fretted. "Should we call an ambulance?"

"She'll be fine," the Doctor said firmly, though he didn't believe his own words. It had been some time since she'd last had an attack. Since just before they'd been stuck aboard the _Valiant_ , if he was correct. Over a year. He should have made her stay in the TARDIS, yet he was glad he'd not. Especially as he'd put the capsule on her person rather than keeping it in his pocket.

Donna hesitantly knelt beside them as Jay struggled to choke down air that wouldn't come. Slowly, she smoothed a hand over Jay's forehead, murmuring in a soothing manner. The Doctor smiled a fraction, although the smile vanished when a few seconds later, Jay finally gulped down a gasp of air, choking and heaving, coughing. Agonized tears rolled down her face, and Donna helped wipe them away.

"You're alright," he murmured, leaning over his friend. "Just rest for a minute."

The world had been saved - for the time being.

They could spare a few moments for that.

* * *

Jay didn't seem to notice just how much she was leaning on Donna as the red-haired woman confidently and firmly helped her outside almost half an hour later. Police, EMTs, and other such people were still out and about, dealing with the aftermath of the Adipose. They avoided them all as the Doctor tossed the sonic pen into a trash bin, and then pushed his hands into his pockets, watching the commotion.

The peace between the three was interrupted when the woman that had been tied up in the building suddenly emerged, creeping out of the doors - still tied to the chair. She froze when she saw them, and then spat, "You're just mad! Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm going to report you...for madness!" She scampered away, still attached to the chair, and Jay arched a brow, exhausted.

"Some people just can't take it," Donna mused.

"No, they can't," Jay agreed quietly, shaking her head.

Donna's thoughtful expression vanished, replaced with excitement. "But some people can. So, then, TARDIS! Come on!" Jay yelped as she was yanked away, and the Doctor quickly took up a brisk walk to keep up, letting Jay guide the way to the alley the TARDIS had been left in. Jay looked relieved when she saw the old blue box, eager to get inside and take a nap while she could.

Donna suddenly stopped, astonished. She pointed to a blue car that had been parked in the alley. "That's my car! That is like _destiny_! I've been ready for this." She scrambled for the trunk, prying it open. Jay stared at the suitcases held within. "I packed ages ago, just in case. Hot weather...cold weather...no weather…"

The Doctor, just as stunned, barely reacted when Donna began to unload a variety of suitcases into his arms. "Is that...is that a hatbox?" he demanded.

"That is a hatbox," Jay confirmed with a tired giggle. She turned to the Doctor, gesturing to the TARDIS. "I'm going in," she murmured. _Preferably before an aftershock hits…_

The Doctor waved her off and she strode over to the police box, brushing her fingers fondly over the wood before unlocking the door with the key that hung at her neck, pushing her way in moments later. He watched after her worriedly before Donna suddenly spoke, frowning at him, "You're not saying a whole lot."

"Sorry," the Doctor said immediately, turning his attention on her.

She watched his face, suddenly worried and nervous. "It's...it's okay, right? If I come?"

"Yeah, course you can." The Doctor blinked, startled she'd think otherwise. "I'd love it, and Jay would, too." Jay had said as much on their way down from the roof, when she'd requested a break from climbing down stairs. She'd wanted Donna to come with, had said that the woman deserved to go with them, even for just a trip or two.

Of course, "one trip or two" was definitely going to be an exaggeration with the amount of luggage being handed to him.

Donna practically bounced on her feet, happy. "Thank you!" she practically squealed and then gasped, eyes wide. "Car keys!" she yelped, fishing them out of her pocket. "I've still got my mum's car keys! I won't be a minute!" She darted down the alleyway, pulling out her phone, and the Doctor sighed, amused that he'd been left alone with her luggage. Still, he went to work on moving it into the TARDIS, who hummed as he entered in greeting.

He dropped what he carried onto the grated floor, looking around at the large control room, meant for five or six pilots versus the one the TARDIS carried. The Doctor listened to the familiar hum of his home, and admitted to himself that he was happy that the little family he'd made was going to permanently be one person bigger.

* * *

 _Got that written fairly fast. I decided to go with Donna, as you can see. :D Very excited for some things to come. Particularly Midnight, Pompeii, the Ood, and the end of series four!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (_ _BlackbloodedSoul2 and bored411!) as well as those who favorited and followed! It means a lot to me. :)_


	18. The Fires of Pompeii

_The creature's voice echoed in her ears. Whispering and hissing and screaming its terrifying cry. She could hear its shuffling movements as it crept after her, seeking her out in the dark, stone hallways of its home. Pain burned its way up her legs from where her feet, battered and bruised, came into contact with the slime it left behind._

 _She retreated a few steps, hands pressed over her ears as if it would block out the creature's sounds, but it only seemed to bring her closer to it. Panic began to override everything else, and she spun around, expecting it to be right behind her._

 _An eyeless black face was mere inches away from her own, and she began to scream._

Jay awoke from her nightmare, sobbing hysterically. She couldn't draw in breath and it took a second for her to be able to. A minor aftershock, she realized, struggling to finally catch it when the aftershock ended after only a second or two. She pushed herself upright, burying her face in her hands as she tried to calm herself.

It took her some time before she could, and it was only with the TARDIS's soft humming song in her ears that she managed. The ship's voice was strong, soothing, beckoning, and Jay smiled faintly, scrubbing tears away from her cheeks. "Thanks," she murmured to the TARDIS, who hummed back to her happily. The lights flicked on of their own accord.

Jay shook her head to herself and dragged in a weak, but deep breath. It came in raggedly, and went out even worse. She'd been initially grateful for the Doctor and Donna's agreement to let her get a proper few hours of sleep before going on Donna's first official trip. Jay didn't even know where Donna wanted to go, only that she had been granted permission to choose.

Now, she wished they'd just gone straight there, trouble awaiting their arrival or no.

Jay wiped her eyes a final time to rub the sleep from them and then swung out of the bed, staggering. She wasn't nearly ready to sleep, but a good cup of coffee would finish waking her up. And some breakfast. She was starving.

Jay threw on a sweater over the T-shirt she'd put on the night before and padded barefoot from her room. She let herself get lost in the song of the TARDIS as she made her way to the kitchen and ducked in. She was grateful to find that no one was there and went to work. Within minutes, she had a cup of coffee and a few pieces of toast on the counter before her. She took a shaken breath as she leaned forward, listening to distant sounds that the TARDIS created - much louder than normal, thought Jay.

She must have been doing it on purpose, and Jay was more than happy about it.

She was half-way done with her coffee when she heard a crash from outside. She glanced over her shoulder, murmuring with a frown, "What the hell is he doing out there?" The TARDIS gave no answer, so Jay sighed and took her coffee and toast with her, retreating from the kitchen in favor of hunting down the Doctor.

She took one step into the control room and found herself lifting her eyebrows in surprise.

"What the _hell_ are you doing in here?" she demanded, staring down at the mess that had been created. Panels of floor were removed, all thrown to the side, and various items and objects had been thrown out of storage areas, littering what the panels didn't.

The Doctor's head poked out of one of the opened areas, and she nearly choked on a bite of toast when she saw that there was a smear of something on his cheek and over the bridge of his nose. His hair seemed to stick up even more than it normally did, and he'd lost his tie for whatever he was doing.

"You should be asleep," he said, resting his elbows on the edge of the nearest grated panel. Jay moved closer, standing over him with an amused look.

She ignored that comment in favor of gesturing to the mess. "What are you doing out here? I don't recall any mention of cleaning everything out. And with the amount you must have collected in here, I would have thought you'd want some help."

"Not cleaning out," he said, ducking back below. Jay sat down beside the opening in the floor, folding her legs neatly beneath her. Even if she didn't help, she could sit and chat. It wasn't like they were going to do much else until Donna came out. "I'm looking for something."

"Which is…"

"That capsule that Adipose Industries handed out gave me an idea," the Doctor called out from below, and Jay winced when she heard a rather loud crash. Donna was going to come out at this rate, and while Jay was fine with that, she wanted her to take time settling in to the room the TARDIS had granted her.

"And that idea is…?" She felt like she was prying for information, which she supposed was normal when the Doctor was distracted.

"Hah!" he cried without answering, and then suddenly emerged. Jay snorted at the full sight of him. He was a disaster. He'd somehow managed to rip the sleeve of his suit in the process of searching for whatever it was. He dropped heavily beide her, proudly grinning. He opened his palm and showed his finding to her.

"All that," Jay mused, lifting her mug to her lips, "for a _gem_."

A pretty gem, that seemed to shine several different colors, but a gem nonetheless. It looked like an opal. Jay touched it gently and found it was warm. "I've been out for hours...how long have you been looking for this, Doctor?" No doubt he could have gone to some distant place and bought a new one.

"After we got all of Donna's things in," the Doctor said. "Here." He passed it to her and Jay blinked, setting her mug aside to take it. It was heavy and warm in her hand, and offered comfort. She tilted her head, curious as the TARDIS's ever constant song suddenly seemed to dim in her head. "It's meant to help block telepathic connections to your mind."

"The songs," Jay realized, and he nodded in confirmation. She weighed it in her hand. "That would be great," she murmured. "It's been a while since my head was silent, although the songs are helpful sometimes."

"Yes, but some people might take advantage of the connection," the Doctor said firmly. He took it back from her, pocketing it. "We'll stop somewhere and have it made into something that won't fall out of your pocket."

Jay smiled brightly at him. "Thank you," she said honestly, and then picked her mug back up. They sat in silence for a few moments before she commented, "You have a lot to clean up now."

"It's harder throwing things out then throwing them in," the Doctor said smugly, and Jay grinned when the TARDIS seemed to groan in protest. The Doctor ignored both and said again, "You should be sleeping."

Jay shrugged and lost her smile, nibbling on her toast until it was gone. Swiping crumbs carefully from her hands, she admitted, "Nightmares, about the creature." She didn't need to specify what creature. She wriggled her bare toes, studying the black veins that resided on her feet and crept up her calves. "I can't sleep."

"You need a good cup of tea, not coffee," the Doctor said almost scoldingly, and Jay said simply in return, "I don't want to sleep, so coffee is good. Besides, I'm not tired now. And no more aftershocks. Had my last one after I woke up."

"You still need to sleep."

Jay shook her head and changed the subject, scowling a little. "Donna was the one I told you about, by the way." He looked confused, so she continued. "The one with the weird song in her head. Remember? I told you about her, she was in the communications area when we were asking for information. I met her at the printer."

"Is she?" the Doctor said, not surprised. It was a very odd coincidence that he'd meet the same woman twice in such a way, let alone one who'd transported herself onto the TARDIS. "We'll keep an eye on her." Donna wasn't bad in any way, shape, or form, but there was likely something she didn't know in that case. They'd have to make sure that no one else took advantage or notice of that.

Jay hummed her agreement, wiggling her toes for a moment before finishing off her coffee. "Do you know where we're going? Should I dress the part?"

"Nah, you're fine. Just get dressed like normal." The Doctor sprung to his feet, starting to nudge things back in. They crashed down into the depths of storage and Jay rolled her eyes in amusement as she climbed to her feet. "Off with you," the Doctor said, shooing her, and Jay snorted and waved him off as she started back for her room.

The TARDIS hummed as she went, and Jay shook her head.

* * *

When Jay returned to the control room, it was back to its normal state with Donna wandering around, taking closer looks at everything. The Doctor was ranting about something or another, although the rant came to a halt when he caught sight of Jay. "Jay!" he cried, and Donna turned her head to look over her shoulder at her. "Good, you're here. Rome! Ancient Rome!"

Jay raked her mind, thinking about what she knew of Rome. Even two hundred years past Donna's time, they were well-known - as was their mythology, something she'd always found fun to learn about. Too bad her father had prevented her from learning all that she wanted to about it. "You like Rome?" she asked Donna.

"Always wanted to visit," Donna admitted. "Just...couldn't."

"Well, then," the Doctor said, and Jay leaned against the railing as he sent the TARDIS into motion. " _Allons-y!_ " They exchanged a grin when Donna stumbled, unprepared, and Jay laughed when she smiled brightly upon catching herself. The TARDIS took a few moments before landing, the familiar wheezing vanishing as she landed. Jay patted the railing happily and then followed her companions to the doors, pausing only when the Doctor stopped to deposit the stone he intended to give her safely into a pocket of a spare jacket hanging near the doors..

"Ancient Rome!" the Doctor repeated proudly as he threw the doors open, stepping outside. He frowned when their sight was immediately obscured by a curtain and pushed it aside to show Donna the world before them. "Well, not to them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome."

"Oh, my God," Donna breathed as she took a few steps forward. Jay ducked out after her, closing and locking the door behind her. The Doctor dropped the curtain after nudging her forward, and Jay took a moment to look around.

People bustled this way and that, and the Doctor laughed when Donna excitedly hugged him. Jay appreciated the new-looking stone buildings, the people in their ancient clothing, and the familiar sounds of a busy town. People didn't seem unhappy at all here, and it only made Jay smile bigger. The sky was blue, it was warm, and she was _loving_ this town.

Donna's smile looked as if it would split her face in half. "I'm here," she breathed, nearly buzzing with excitement. "In Rome. Donna Noble, in _Rome_. This is just weird! I mean, everyone here's dead!"

"Well, don't tell them that," the Doctor said, grimacing at the idea. Some would take it as a threat and likely have them imprisoned or worse.

"Hold on a minute," Donna said, ducking around the Doctor. Jay trailed in the opposite direction, leaving Donna to get used to traveling through time. And she'd not even seen another planet just yet. Jay heard Donna complain that there was a sign in English, and she smiled as the Doctor began to explain the translation circuits. She remembered her own confusion over that at first, remembered how she'd slowly gotten used to the idea with Martha.

Martha would have liked Rome, Jay thought, leaning against a piece of wood that held an overhang aloft. She wouldn't go far from her friends. It was far more fun when they were experiencing everything together. The lack of Martha's presence didn't produce quite as sharp a pain as it once had after a month without her, but she still missed her dearly.

"Jay?" the Doctor called, and she glanced over. He was waving for her to join them, Donna looking eagerly around as he did so, clearly ready to get a move on. Jay hurried over, murmuring a swift apology.

"I've been traveling with you for close to a year, I think," she suddenly informed the Doctor. "Not including the year on the _Valiant_ , of course."

"We'll get something to celebrate. A meal at the most expensive place here," the Doctor decided.

"With what money?" Donna pointed out and then suddenly paused, looking down at herself. "Don't our clothes look a bit odd, Doctor?" She tugged self-consciously at the shirt she'd donned, and Jay smiled comfortingly at her.

"We're fine, Donna. For some reason, people tend to bypass the clothes. Have you been here before?" she added when the Doctor mused that the town wasn't what he remembered it to look like.

"Ages ago," he murmured, and Jay guessed immediately that he'd stopped there with Rose at some point. "Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me," he added hastily, although neither Donna nor Jay had asked about it. "Well...a little bit. But I haven't got the chance to look around properly. Colosseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus...you'd expect them to by looming by now, actually, so where is everything?" He suddenly turned down an alley, leaving Donna and Jay to scramble after him.

Jay frowned as she followed, stepping onto a wide street and glancing over her shoulder. She thought she caught a glimpse of crimson, although it was quickly gone. Suspicious, Jay chose to shake it off and instead looked over when Donna said, "Not an expert, but there's _seven_ hills of Rome, aren't there? So how come they've only got one?"

Jay looked upon the massive mountain nearby, casting the town in a shadow almost, and Jay thought it was quite pretty to look at. She'd not seen many mountains that looked like that. Her awe vanished, however, when the ground suddenly shook violently beneath their feet. Donna staggered, and Jay winced when she bumped into her. The Doctor threw his arms out to catch his balance, looking around in alarm as various citizens laughed and worked on preventing any damage to the things around them. Jay nearly toppled over when a crate fell beside her, and she caught herself on broken wood when she tripped.

"Pompeii," the Doctor breathed as the shaking came to a halt. "We're in Pompeii."

"You said _Rome_ ," Jay seethed, not at all pleased to be in such a dangerous place. Even in her time, she'd heard stories of Pompeii and the destruction created by Mount Vesuvius. Her hands shook with fear at the idea of being buried alive by burning hot ash. "How the hell did we end up _here_?"

Rather than answering, the Doctor took Donna's wrist and started dragging her back the way they'd come. Jay rushed after them, jogging to keep up. The Doctor's long legs ate up far too much ground to make it easier for her, and even Donna had some trouble as they rushed back to where they'd left the TARDIS.

"Doctor," Jay said sharply when they turned onto the street, realizing their rush would do them no good. She couldn't hear the familiar song of the TARDIS growing louder with each step they took. He didn't stop, only kept pushing forward, and Jay lifted her voice. " _Doctor_ ," she barked, and this time, he stopped to look back. Worry for the time machine filled her. "She's gone. The TARDIS isn't where we left her."

"How do you know that?" Donna asked, but was interrupted by the Doctor dropping her hand in favor of bolting ahead, as if he didn't believe her. Jay, panting a little for breath, didn't answer, lips pressed into a hard line.

"No, no, no!" the Doctor cried as he came back, ruffling his hair angrily. Jay's lips twitched. He looked like an angry porcupine, she thought. "She's gone!"

"I told you she was gone," Jay said dryly. She scanned the area, wondering just where the TARDIS had gone. She wouldn't have dematerialized without them. She wouldn't. Jay got the feeling she didn't do such a thing unless she deemed it truly necessary. Which meant it was still in Pompeii, just not where they'd left it. But why would someone move a big blue police box?

Her gaze locked onto a smiling man, offering wares near the area they'd left the TARDIS in. "Excuse me!" she cried, plunging past the Doctor and earning a protest for her efforts. The man paused in shouting to look at her, and then beamed.

"Hello there, my dear!" he said pleasantly. "Care to purchase-"

"The box," she gasped, smiling politely even as she caught her breath. "The big blue wooden box we parked just over there," she pointed to the spot the TARDIS had once resided in, "could you tell me where it went?"

"I sold it," he admitted, frowning. "It was on my patch. Got fifteen sesterce for it, lovely jubbly."

Whatever that meant. Jay could hear the Doctor getting huffy behind her and hastily asked, "Who did you sell it to?"

"Old Caecilius," the man replied, looking worried as the Doctor glared at him. "Look," he told the Doctor, "If you want to argue, why don't you take it out with him? He's on Foss Street. Big Villa, can't miss it."

"Thank you," Jay said honestly. She turned to the Doctor, grabbing his arm. "Foss Street, like he said. Do you know where it could be?" The Doctor shook his head in frustration, so she said firmly, "Here's what we'll do, since you're not thinking straight for some reason." They'd been in far more danger than this. He had no reason to panic so much. "You go one way, Donna will go the other, and I'll go a third way. We'll find Foss Street."

The Doctor nodded, frustrated. "Good plan," he muttered, "I like good plans. Right, Donna. That way." He grabbed Donna by the shoulders and turned her in one direction. "I'll take that way." He pointed towards the rumbling volcano, which made Jay and Donna both frown in disapproval at him, neither liking that idea very much in particular. "Jay, you go opposite of Donna. Meet here in…" He considered the amount of time he wanted before finishing. "Ten minutes."

"Done," Jay agreed, and Donna nodded firmly, lips pressed together. A desperate look had appeared on her face, and despite not knowing her for long, Jay got the feeling that it meant she didn't agree with something. "Donna?" she asked as the Doctor bolted.

"I want to help them," she whispered, looking at the clueless people bustling around them. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. "They're all going to die if we don't do something, Jay."

Jay's gaze softened and she stepped up to the older woman, squeezing her shoulders after lightly resting her fingers on them. "I know," she murmured. "We'll see if the Doctor can do anything at all when we're done finding the TARDIS." She doubted it. He was rather panicked about getting to their time machine before Pompeii erupted. Not that she could blame him with that matter, but…honestly, they'd been in far worse danger before. The _Valiant_ had been more dangerous than this.

There was something about the look he wore that told her he didn't intend to save anyone that day. Perhaps because it was a point in time that shouldn't or couldn't be changed? She wasn't entirely sure that it was the case, but it was the best guess she had.

Jay smiled gently at Donna. "For now, let's go find Foss Street, okay?"

"Right," Donna agreed. She gave Jay a smile in return, her features softened, and then turned and jogged off, her eyes darting this way and that. Jay watched her go and then turned and ran in the direction she'd been assigned.

* * *

When the trio met back up ten minutes later, Jay amazed that she and Donna hadn't managed to get lost in the process, the Doctor was grinning like a maniac, his dark eyes shimmering. "I've got it!" he announced. "Foss Street, this way!" He took a hold of Donna's wrist gently, moving to tug her along in the direction he'd searched, but Donna ripped her hand free. She shook her head.

"No!" she said firmly. "I've found this big sort of amphitheatre thing, we could start there! We could gather everyone together, and maybe if we got a great big bell or something, we could ring it! Have they invented bells yet?"

"What do you want a bell for?" the Doctor demanded, and Jay gave him a grimace.

Donna looked at him in astonishment. "To warn everyone! To start the evacuation! What time does Vesuvius erupt, when's it due?"

"It's seventy-nine AD, the twenty-third of August, which makes Volcano Day tomorrow!" he said a little angrily. He wanted to get his two friends out of the way of danger before "Volcano Day" was even a proper problem.

"Plenty of time! We could get everyone out, easy!"

Jay wrapped her arms around herself, feeling anxious as the look on the Doctor's face changed. She knew this meant nothing good. "Yeah," the Doctor said calmly. "Except we're not going to."

"But that's what you do!" cried Donna. "You're the Doctor, you _save_ people!"

The Doctor answered grimly, "Not this time." He glanced at Jay, who said nothing, pressing her lips together and giving him a look that gave nothing away regarding her thoughts on the matter. "Pompeii is a fixed point in history," he continued, turning his attention back to Donna. "What happens happens, and there is no stopping it."

"Says who?"

Jay sighed to herself, rubbing her hands down her face as a spark appeared in Donna's eye, returned by the Doctor as he glared back at her. "Guys," she protested, not wanting an argument to arise.

"Says me!"

"What, you're in charge?"

"TARDIS, Time Lord, yeah!"

"Donna, human, no!" Donna seemed to puff up in fury, glaring viciously at him in a way that made Jay's lips twitched. She hadn't argued too often with the Doctor, as she admitted to usually being willing to trust what he said. Perhaps she should argue more often though. He did seem to sometimes skim over the fact that they could save more people than they did...but if this was as he said, a set point in time…

Donna continued with a dark look in her eyes. "I don't need your permission, I'll tell them myself."

"You sound off about all this, announce the end of the world," the Doctor retorted, narrowing his eyes, "and they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer. Now come on!" Deciding Donna wasn't going to move unless he tried something new, the Doctor took hold of Jay's wrist and tugged her forward. Not wanting to be alone, Donna began to follow. Jay huffed irritably at her friend, trying to wrench her hand free. "We're out of here!"

"I might just have something to say about that, Spaceman!" Donna barked as they strode through the street.

"Oh, I bet you will!" he called back over his shoulder, loosening his grip on Jay's wrist when she pointedly yanked and then tugged at his sleeve with a grumbled, " _Ow_ , Doctor."

"Sorry," he muttered under his breath to her, and she rubbed her wrist when he released her entirely. She smiled faintly to show that she forgave him before taking a deep breath, listening intently as he swiftly led the way towards Foss Street. The TARDIS's song was still impossible for her to hear, and she felt a little worried about that.

Just how far had they gotten with the TARDIS?

* * *

It turned out that the TARDIS wasn't nearly as far as Jay had worried it would be. She took the lead, guiding them through the maze that was Pompeii after they'd reached Foss Street, and a smile lit her face. Relief flashed through her.

"There, Doctor," she said, pointing to a home that was rather large and likely held a wealthy man. The Doctor bounced on his heels and patted her shoulder in approval and gratitude before jogging forward. Donna, still cross with him for refusing to help anyone in the town, grumbled under her breath as she followed him side-by-side with Jay.

They entered without permission, and Donna whispered to Jay as they walked down a hall, "Is this okay?"

"When you travel with the Doctor, most things tend to be surprisingly okay, no matter how rude," Jay admitted in response under her breath, careful to keep her voice down. She bit her lip nervously as she heard voices, hoping that it wouldn't be too much of a challenge to get their ship back.

Just as they were entering a room, however, the ground began to shake again, and a voice from within shouted, "Positions!" The Doctor, acting on sheer instinct, caught a statue that suddenly fell from its place beside him. Jay rushed to help him when he grunted, caught by surprise, pushing it back upright when the shaking had stopped.

The Doctor threw her a warm look and then beamed as the man who'd shouted turned to them. He was older, with gray-streaked hair that curled in tight rings against his head and sharp, intelligent eyes. Clearly a citizen of Pompeii, Jay thought, eyeing his clothing. And there were others in the room, too, a woman and two younger people, a boy and a girl. His wife and children, undoubtedly.

"Thank you, kind sir, madame," the man said gratefully to them. "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."

"But that's me!" the Doctor hastily lied, striding forward to shake his hand. The man shook it with a confused look. "Hello, I'm a visitor!" Donna snorted under her breath as he was suspiciously asked who they were, and Jay flashed her an amused look despite everything that was going on. "I'm...Spartacus."

"And so am I," Donna said hastily when he turned to her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?" the man guessed.

"Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor said hastily, throwing his hands up in alarm. His eyes were widened with concern that he'd think such a thing. "We're not...we're not married."

"Not even close," agreed Donna, horrified by the idea. Jay snickered, earning a gentle swat from the red-haired woman.

"Oh, then brother and sister? Yes, of course! You look very much alike." The man beamed at that, nodding at them both when they looked at one another in confusion, eyebrows arched in the same inquisitive way. "And you, my dear?" he asked, turning to Jay. "Are you his wife then?"

Jay spluttered. "Oh, heavens no. Just a very good friend of the family," she said hastily, throwing her hands up much like the Doctor had.

"Anyhow, I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade," the man said, gesturing to nothing in particular.

The Doctor pushed his hands into his pockets and rocked forward, questioning, "And that trade would be…?"

"Marble. Lobus Caecilius," he said, introducing himself. He gave them a small bow.

"Mining, polishing, and design thereof. If you want marble...I'm your man."  
"That's good. That's good," the Doctor said, drawling his words out in thought as he tired to come up with something that would give him an excuse to search around for the TARDIS. As if sensing his thoughts Jay gave his sleeve a discrete tug and bent her head in the direction of the ship. "I'm a marble inspector!" he declared.

Caecilius's wife cried, her face paling, "By the gods of commerce, an inspection!" She immediately whirled on her startled son and ripped the cup of a suspiciously dark liquid from his fingers. "I'm sorry, sir, I do apologize for my son, Quintus. And our daughter, Evelina, is indisposed at the moment."

"My good wife, Metella," Caecilius said in ways of introduction, throwing his wife a fond glance. He shifted nervously, gaze darting between the three between them. "I...I must confess, we were not prepared for-"

"Nothing to worry about," the Doctor cut in, still searching around. He slowly made his way over to the part of the room Jay had indicated and beamed when he found the TARDIS, half-hidden in a darker corner. "I'm sure you've nothing to hide, but isn't that _wood_?" He pointed to it.

Metella immediately sneaked her husband a sharp look. "I told you to get rid of it!" she hissed at him, glaring, and Caecilius grimaced, apologizing sincerely and saying that he'd only purchased it that day.

"I'm sure it's fine," the Doctor reassured, smiling kindly at Metella. "But I might have to take it off your hands, for a proper inspection and all."

When Donna interrupted, her voice was quiet but firm. She stared the Doctor down, her eyes boring into his as she said, "While we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?"

The Doctor threw a warning look, glowering, "Don't know what you mean, Spartacus."

"Donna," Jay whispered, tugging gently on her wrist to try and capture her attention away from her clear goal. But Donna ignored her, saying sharply, "Oh, this lovely family...mother and father and _son_ ," she stressed, nodding towards the bewildered son. "Don't you think they should get out of town?"

Jay rolled her eyes as the pair began to bicker without really bickering, stepping away as if to keep herself out of the argument. She offered a faint smile to the curious boy, who was glancing between the three of them with intense interest, as if he didn't believe a word they'd said regarding who they were. Jay simply stepped back to hang beside the TARDIS, waiting. She fondly patted the wood, listening to the soft hum it gave her in response. The Doctor scolded Donna softly as he suddenly dragged her over to a small area, not bothering to check on Jay, and she lifted her brows.

Apparently he thought she agreed with what he was doing.

Quite simply, she really did _not_. She was beginning to lean more towards Donna's side of things, although she simultaneously understood that set points in time couldn't be changed. Still, would it kill the Doctor to save _one_ family? Just one?

A voice suddenly called, "Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government!"

Caecilius and his wife flew into action as a man appeared in the entrance, dressed in expensive looking clothing with a crimson cloth to further his display of wealth thrown around his right shoulder.. Metella hastily shooed her son to his feet. The Doctor quickly stood, dragging Donna just out of sight to avoid catching his attention right away, and Jay pressed more firmly against the TARDIS, ready to unlock it and simply step inside if it kept her from creating trouble. "Lucius, my pleasure as always. A rare and great honor, sir, for you to come to my house."

Jay's brows quirked in confusion when Lucius simply answered, "The birds are flying north, and the wind is in the west. Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow."

"There now, Metella," Caecilius said happily, smiling at her. "Have you ever heard such wisdom?"

Metella just looked downright confused as she bowed her upper half to the man before them in respect. "Never," she purred, "it's an honor, sir."

Lucius's gaze slid to Jay and then to Donna and the Doctor, who'd not been as well hidden as the Doctor would have likely preferred. Caecilius was quick to introduce them. "Pardon me, sir, I have guests. This is Spartacus, Spartacus, and…" He glanced to Jay with a small frown. "And a family friend," he finished, realizing she'd not given a name.

"Hello," Jay said politely, giving a little wave when Lucius looked at her harshly again. She found she didn't care much for him. Something about him was strange - suspicious. She couldn't hear anything like she had from the Master or from the TARDIS. But there was most certainly something that was weird.

"A name," said Lucius, his gaze cold as he looked over them, "is but a cloud upon a summer wind."

Jay looked exasperated as the Doctor, never one to be overlooked or outdone, said in response, curious to see how Lucius would respond, "But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark."

"Ah," Lucius replied. He looked almost amused with the Doctor's attempts to surpass him with philosophy...or what Jay assumed to be philosophy. It had never been one of her best points during her education. She leaned harder into the TARDIS, still not particularly fond of Lucius. "But what is the dark, other than an omen of the sun?" he asked.

"I concede that ever sun must set," the Doctor admitted, and Lucius looked victorious for a brief moment. But the Doctor smirked, a look that he rarely wore in such circumstances, and finished, "And yet the son of the father must also rise."

Lucius swore. "Damn," muttered the unhappy man, who'd apparently decided to concede the victory to the Doctor. The Doctor looked very proud of himself. Donna just looked downright confused, which made Jay want to laugh. "Very clever, sir. Evidently a man of learning."

"Oh, yes. But don't mind me, or my sister, or our friend." He placed a firm hand on Donna's shoulder, giving Lucius an innocent look that Jay wouldn't have believed for an instant. The Doctor wiggled his eyebrows a bit, waving him off with his free hand. "Don't want to disturb the status quo. We'll be off in a minute." Donna hissed something to him, and the Doctor hissed back, but Jay focused on what Caecilius and Lucius were suddenly discussing.

"It's ready, sir," Caecilius said proudly, whirling around to approach a piece of cloth-covered stone that had gone miraculously unnoticed until that moment. Metella stepped aside, keeping quiet, and hissing at her son to move away, too, when Lucius approached. Jay's stomach twisted oddly and she immediately glanced to the Doctor, who was speaking lowly under his breath to Donna, urging her to do something.

She wanted to snap at him to pay attention, as something important seemed to be about to happen, but kept her mouth shut and merely pressed her mouth into a hardline.

"The moment of revelation!" cried the proud Caecilius, and then ripped away the cloth. Jay blinked at the sight of what he'd revealed, and even the Doctor stopped mid-sentence to stare, immediately looking suspicious. "Here it is, exactly as you specified, sir. It pleases you?" he added when Lucius began to smile, nodding approvingly.

"As the rain pleases the soil," he said smoothly.

The Doctor abandoned scolding Donna and trying to urge her into the TARDIS in favor of stepping closer, his eyes locked on the stone. It had been carved into a large square and possessed a very intricate pattern upon its front face - something that was very clearly not from the ancient Romans. Donna blinked at it, and Jay hurried over to take the Doctor's place beside her, deciding it would probably be better to be near the pair. "That looks like a circuit," Donna whispered to Jay, confused. "Made of stone…"

"And...you just dreamed it up?" Jay asked, arching a brow suspiciously.

"That is my job," Lucius said proudly, looking at Donna with disapproval, as if she should have known such a thing. "As City Augur."

What's that?" Jay demanded, and the Doctor hastily asked Lucius to excuse her before ducking back to explain to her, speaking hastily out of the corner of his mouth.

"This is an age of superstition, Jay, and it exists in official positions. The Augur is paid by the city of Pompeii to tell them the future. 'The wind will blow from the west?' That's the equivalent of the ten o'clock news that people watch."

Jay nodded, considering that with a disbelieving frown. Who would believe something as ridiculous as a man who claimed to see the future? Traveling through time and space was one thing, and the Doctor was ancient and fairly all-knowing for the most part simply because he'd seen a lot and learned even more. Not because he could see the future. She didn't believe for an instant that something like future-seeing was truly possible.

"They're laughing at us," a wispy feminine voice suddenly said, and Jay, Donna, and the Doctor spun around to find a girl with a very pale face standing there, wavering on her feet. She looked ill as she stared them down, her dark hair pulled from her face yet matted with sweat that shone on her cheeks and forehead. One arm was heavily bandaged. "Those three...they use words like tricksters. They're _mocking_ us."

The Doctor jerked his head a little, caught off guard. "No, no, no," he said hastily. "We meant no offense-"

"I'm sorry," Metella said quickly, rushing over. She took her daughter's shoulder in one hand with a gentle touch, frowning at her. "My daughter's been consuming the vapours."

Jay glanced over, blinking suspiciously when the boy - Quintus, she remembered him being called - suddenly spoke hotly, furious. "Oh, for the gods' sake, Mother, what have you been doing to her?" Caecilius tried to hush him, but Quintus snarled, "She's sick! Just look at her!"

Understanding crossed Lucius's features and he eyed Evelina with new interest, straightening a fraction. "I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift of prophecy."

The Doctor seemed to focus briefly on that as well, eyes narrowing. He returned his attention back onto the girl who must have been Evelina, Rather than speaking, however, he remained silent, interested to see where this would go. Jay was impressed; he normally couldn't stop himself from speaking. "Is she okay?" Donna asked softly, and Jay smiled kindly at her. She was very concerned about everyone there, and it made Jay happy to know she was so empathetic.

Metella inclined her head to indicate that what Lucius had said was true, but added reassuringly with a hint of pride in her voice, "Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions." The happy mother gently brushed the hair from Evelina's face. Evelina continued to study the trio of time-travelers suspiciously, her lips pressed together.

Lucius sneered at the pair of women. "The prophecies of women," he said icily, "are limited and dull. Only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception."

Jay and Donna exchanged a look that was anything but pleased. Jay's eyes sharpened with anger, but it was Donna who said darkly, glowering at the supposed prophet, "I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate, and it's-"

She cut off when the ground suddenly trembled beneath them and Lucius gave her a cruel, confident smirk. Donna bristled as the Doctor quieted her with a touch to her shoulder, narrowing his eyes when Lucius said in a near purr, "The mountain god marks your words, woman, I'd be careful - if I were you."

"Consuming the vapours, you said?" asked the Doctor, trying to get the attention off of Donna and onto more important matters. He addressed Evelina, ignoring everyone else in the room. He was concerned about the young woman before them. She was clearly ill and needed help. "It doesn't look like you should be consuming anything of the likes…"

Evelina's eyes flashed. "Is that your opinion as a doctor? That's your name...Doctor."

"I beg your pardon?" he said, jerking back in surprise. Jay and Donna took on matching expressions of shock. "How'd you know that?" Unnerved, he took a step back, his eyes narrowing as Evelina's gaze then turned on Donna.

"And you," she murmured, "you call yourself Noble...and you, who dreams of Death at every turn…" Her attention shifted from Donna to Jay. "They come from so far away, yet you come even further."

"Now then," Metella said, stepping forward. She took her daughter by the shoulders, wary. "Don't be rude, Evelina-"

"No, no," the Doctor said. "Let her talk." He was fascinated. This wasn't something he remembered seeing. This girl clearly wasn't alien. At least, he didn't think she was. She had no reason to know who he was. Who Donna or Jay were. Donna murmured warily, and then scowled when Lucius laughed, sneering.

"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," Lucius said, smirking. He didn't look inclined to believe a word coming from Evelina's mouth, even as she spoke truth.

"No," breathed Jay, staring at the woman over the Doctor's shoulder. "She's not wrong."

"I reckon you've been out-soothsayed, Lucius," agreed the Doctor, not tearing his eyes from Evelina.

"Is that so, man from Gallifrey?" A chill ran up her spine when Jay ripped around to stare at him. The Doctor spun, too, and Donna's hand took Jay's. Jay squeezed gently in reassurance. She was a little intimidated as well. Especially when Lucius said thoughtfully, "Strangest of images...your home is lost in fire, is it not?" The Doctor's face darkened and Jay winced. It wasn't a good idea to speak of such things to the Doctor. She remembered being told of the Doctor's history, of what had happened to his home and the people on it.

It was the last thing anyone should have been mentioning to him if they didn't want to be subjected to his anger.

"And you," Lucius continued, turning on Donna. "Daughter of London." She flinched, demanding how he knew. Lucius grinned, triumphant. "This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle speaks the truth. Doctor," he added without looking away from Donna. "She is returning."

"Who?" he demanded, looking a little more intrigued than angry now. "Who's _she_?"

"Beware, daughter of London, there is something on your back." Jay scowled, stepping in front of Donna when Donna made a sound of terror, not knowing what he meant by that. Lucius merely met her gaze head on. Jay glared furiously, even as she fought the urge to not shudder in fear. "And you, creature of darkness...you can only run for so long before the clock stops ticking."

The Doctor decided that that was far enough. Even if he was incredibly curious and wanted to know more...the fear of his companions wasn't something he wanted to see. "Enough," he ordered, and Lucius threw him a smug look, proud of what he'd done. He'd wanted to intimidate them, the Doctor realized - and he felt that he'd done just that.

"Even the word 'doctor' is false," Evelina said suddenly, her eyes wavering as she stared at the Doctor. "Your real name is hidden, burning across the stars of the Cascade of Medusa...you are a lord, sir. One of time-"

She suddenly collapsed, and Metella cried out, dropping with her daughter to try and catch her. The Doctor, concerned, rushed forward to help, and Lucius, in the commotion, disappeared out the door, ordering for his men to bring the stone circuit.

* * *

"Here," said Donna softly, offering a dampened cloth. Metella smiled tiredly and smoothed hair from her daughter's brow before dabbing at her face with the cloth. Evelina was unconscious, sleeping soundly. Donna stepped back, her brow creased in a frown and her eyes shimmering with concern for the girl who didn't deserve any of this.

"She didn't mean to be rude." Metella swallowed thickly. "She's ever such a good girl, but when the gods speak through her…"

Donna smiled tightly, trying to be reassuring. She didn't think it held the same feeling that Jay's reassuring looks seemed to hold though, because Metella didn't smile back, instead moved on to tend to Evelina's bandaged arm. She unwrapped it with practiced ease and frowned at the shockingly gray skin that resided beneath it. "Oh!" Donna breathed. "What happened? What's wrong with her arm?"

Metella smiled then, a fondly sad smile. "Irritation of the skin. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night…" She suddenly paused, lifting her eyes to meet Donna's. She suddenly appeared desperate. "Please...Evelina said that all of you came from so far away….have you seen anything like this?"

Donna hadn't, but she reached out and gently brushed her fingers over the spot with care. She'd been told that she needn't worry about getting ill for the most part. The Doctor had told her that there was an infirmary stocked full of medical supplies of all kinds. "It's stone," she breathed as she snatched her fingers back.

She knelt beside Evelina, fascinated, and Metella merely sighed in disappointment, running her fingers through Evelina's hair.

* * *

"Help me with this."

The Doctor's demand made Jay roll her eyes, but she still helped him haul away the metal that protected the entrance to a massive hole in the middle of the house. He'd been nosing his way around the house since Lucius's exit, fascinated by what had happened. Jay couldn't say she approved entirely. If he was digging around, it meant that he'd thought that something was off. Which, she supposed, wasn't entirely wrong. Lucius and Evelina had both were highly suspicious after what had happened just a short time before. If they somehow knew that they were from elsewhere in time and space...it was probably a good idea to figure out how and why.

"What is this?" Jay murmured, waving steam away from her face with a cough. It smelled terribly. "Why don't you just use wood and fire?"

Caecilius looked a little offended. "We're very advanced in Pompeii," he said, proud about it. "While Rome continues to use the old wood-burning furnaces, we've got hot springs, leading from Vesuvius itself." The Doctor glanced at him, questioning who'd come up with such an idea, and Caecilius explained willingly, "The soothsayers. After the great earthquake seventeen years ago, there was an awful amount of damage, and they suggested it when we rebuilt."

Jay said softly, "Didn't you consider leaving?"

"This is home," Caecilius said simply. Jay smiled slightly, somewhat amazed by his loyalty to his home, and then jolted when a loud sound suddenly trickled past their ears. Jay and the Doctor glanced at one another, curious, and then peered down into the vent. "That happens all the time," Caecilius said, waving as if to gesture to the unknown sound. "They say that the gods of the Underworld are stirring."

 _Or something else,_ Jay thought.

The Doctor clearly thought along the same lines and narrowed his eyes. "Let me guess...after the earthquake, the soothsayers started making sense."

"Oh, yes, very much so." Caecilius didn't look concerned by it. In fact, he smiled. "They'd always been, shall we say, imprecise, but then...all of them - the soothsayers, the augurs, the haruspex - they started speaking truth. Again, and again, they spoke truth. It's quite amazing...they can predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision."

"And they're all consuming this vapor?" the Doctor asked, swiping his fingers through the smokey steam.

Jay knew immediately what he was going to do and groaned in protest, reaching out to stop him. "Doctor," she whined, but he'd already popped the finger in his mouth, winking playfully at her as he smacked his lips. Caecilius looked beyond confused by the action. "Dust?" Jay guessed as she copied him, swiping her fingers through it. Rather than tasting it, she rubbed her fingers against one another, feeling the tiny particles shifting along her skin. It certainly felt like rocky dust: gritty and unpleasant. "That's nice," she added when the Doctor nodded. "They're breathing in rock."

"Not good for their lungs," the Doctor mused and then bounced to his feet. "Help me put this back?"

"You and your thousand demands," Jay teased half-heartedly, waving Caecilius off when he asked if he could go and get back to some work he had to do. Caecilius left them alone in the room to debate quietly with one another.

Together, they put the grate back over the vent. Swiping her hands, Jay asked when they were done, "Should I check on Donna? I think she's fine, but things always go crazy."

"She'll be alright." The Doctor shook his head, folding his arms with a thoughtful expression on his face. His eyes darted this way and that, as if he was visualizing his thoughts. Finally, he looked at her and said, "I think we need to go and take a look at where Lucius lives." Jay arched a brow, silently questioning why. "The technology he knows of is way past the limits of this time," he said and Jay made a gesture for him to continue, impatient. She'd already known that. "And I want to see if there's an explanation for what he and Evelina knew about us."

Jay's gaze darkened a fraction and she pressed her mouth into a line. Running her fingers through her hair, she said softly, "He called me a creature of darkness, and what he said about time running out...if they truly see the future, that means I'll eventually die, right?"

He threw her a sharp look. "Not necessarily," he said after a long moment of debating. "Clocks stop ticking for a variety of reasons. More often than not it's only because the battery's run out." He grinned when she gave him an exasperated look, not understanding what he meant by that in this situation, but he merely turned away. The Doctor skimmed the area before them. "Where'd the boy go? Quintus?"

Jay pointed in the direction she'd last seen Quintus go, and the Doctor bounded off, leaving Jay to trail after him with a heavy sigh. He was like an overexcited dog one had to keep an eye on, she thought to herself as he poked his way into every part of the household until he found who he was looking for.

Quintus had made himself at home on a sofa in the corner of a room on the opposite side of the house. He was sprawled out with wine in hand and a bored expression, though the boredom fled and was replaced by suspicion when the Doctor and Jay ducked into the room. Jay had briefly checked in with Donna when they'd gone by, and Donna had waved her off. She considered the concern Donna had expressed only briefly as she let the Doctor deal with Quintus's small attitude.

"Quintus!" the Doctor cheered, leaning over the back of the sofa so that the boy couldn't ignore him. "This Lucius Petrus Dextrus. Where does he live?"

"It's got nothing to do with me," Quintius declared and turned his face away after looking between them.

"Let me try again," said the Doctor rather smugly, pulling a coin out of his pocket and waving it in front of Quintus's face. Quintus sat up a little, eyes following the flash of gold. "Lucius Petrus Dextrus. Where does he live, Quintus?

Jay groaned and shook her head. "You're a terrible influence," she scolded when Quintus agreed to take them to Lucius's quarters, abandoning his wine and hopping to his feet.

The Doctor flashed her a grin and wiggled his eyebrows. "I try," was all he said before waving for Quintus to lead the way into Pompeii.

* * *

Laughter flooded the air as Donna beamed down at her new historical outfit. The purple fabric flowed around her ankles, and she was rather fond of how well it went with her hair color. Evelina, feeling much better after everything that had happened, smiled as she looked at her. Despite smiling herself, Donna scolded lightly, "You're not supposed to laugh." She gestured to the outfit. "Thanks for that. What do you think?" She struck a silly pose, and was rewarded with more giggles. "The goddess Venus?"

Evelina gasped between her giggles. "That's sacrilege!"

Donna smiled warmly at Evelina and said, "Nice to see you laugh, though." She finished examining her new clothes and walked over to sit beside her. Evelina moved over a little to make room for her, fond of the older woman. "So what do girls your age do in good old Pompeii? Do you hang about 'round the shops?"

Evelina flushed, studying her lap. "I am promised to the Sisterhood for the rest of my life," she said softly, and Donna frowned when her smile faltered a little.

"Did you get any choice in that?" she asked gently, hoping that the girl did.

"It's not my decision," Evelina said simply. "The Sisters chose for me. I have the gift of sight," she added as if it was explanation enough.

Donna hesitated, knowing that the Doctor had been determined to think that nothing they did would change what happened nor that they should. A set point, he'd called it, or something similar. "Is anything happening tomorrow?" she asked softly, and when Evelina eyed her in confusion, questioning Donna's comment, she added, "You tell me what you see."

Evelina nodded, pleased to show off her gift, and closed her eyes. "The sun will rise," she said, opening them again a moment later. "The sun will set. Nothing special at all."

Donna's heart twisted with pain. She was so, so wrong, and she didn't even know. Donna took a deep breath. The Doctor was going to kill her for this, but she had to try. Even if it only saved one person or family, she had to try. "Look," she said, and Evelina looked anxious suddenly, as if sensing something bad was about to be said. "Don't tell the Doctor I said anything. But I've got a prophecy, too."

Evelina shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands. Donna felt another flash of sympathy - and guilt. This girl would die if she didn't help her. "Evelina," Donna continued, "I'm sorry, but please. You've got to hear me out. Listen. Everything I'm telling you is true, I swear, so just listen. You don't have to speak. "Tell your family to get out of town. Just for one day - just for tomorrow! But you've got to get out. You've got to leave Pompeii."

Evelina violently shook her head, horrified. Donna winced, feeling bad for making her so upset when she wailed. "This is false prophecy!" she declared, and dissolved into tears.

Donna murmured an apology and bent over her, rubbing her back hesitantly. She just wanted to help. She so desperately wanted to _help._ She wished Jay had stayed with her to help now, though she worried that Jay would have sided with the Doctor. Jay tended to quietly fall into place with what he saw as correct. And, Donna realized, she barely knew the young woman.

That settled it, Donna decided as she comforted Evelina.

As soon as this mess was dealt with, whether or not Pompeii truly was gone within the next day, Donna was going to take Jay out for dinner and ensure that she knew just who she was truly traveling with.

* * *

Jay's lips were tweaked into a smirk as the Doctor scrambled in through a window and didn't bother to wait for her or Quintus as they followed him in. Quintus looked incredibly uncertain about what he was doing, but kept quiet as the Doctor took the torch they'd taken when night had begun to fall. He took off at a brisk walk.

They spent a few minutes nosing about the home of Lucius, and it was in what appeared to be a living room of sorts that Jay suddenly grabbed the Doctor's arm and said quietly, "Look." She pointed to a series of drapes that hung from the ceiling that she'd found, and the Doctor immediately moved over to yank the drapes aside.

"Well," he muttered, furrowing his brow. "This doesn't appear to be too good, does it?"

"Not really," agreed Jay, hands on her hips. She studied the six stone circuits that stood before them, shaking her head. There was definitely something that wasn't normal going on here, and it made her sight heavily. Why was it that whenever they tried to have a nice, peaceful trip somewhere, something happened? She knew that the Doctor was a magnet for trouble, but sometimes it was a little bit ridiculous.

"That liar," seethed Quintus beside Jay, his dark eyes flashing with agitation. "He told my father it was the only one."

"There must be plenty of marble merchants in town." The Doctor started forward, peering closely at the stones to see if he could understand what he was looking at. Something was prying at the back of his mind, urging him to think. He cocked his head a little, dark eyes narrowing. What was it? What _was it_? "Tell them all the same thing," he muttered, trying to speak aloud and clear his thoughts, "get all of the components from different places, so no-one can see what you're building…"

"Which is…?" prompted Jay, reaching out to poke him lightly in the back and remind him that they were there. He had begun to mess around with the stones, arranging them as he saw fit. He ignored Jay's attempts at capturing his attention.

Rather than the Doctor answering, a voice declared proudly from behind them, "The future!" Quintus and Jay spun in place and found Lucius standing there proudly, eyes blazing, with two guards on either side of him. Jay immediately didn't like the fact that they were clearly armed. Lucius's face was set in a smirk; he clearly thought he stood above them all. "Doctor, we are building the future, as dictated by the gods."

The Doctor didn't so much as look back, as if he'd known that Lucius was going to show up there. Jay could see him puzzling out the circuits before him, trying to figure out what he was looking at. She knew the second he did understand, however, as a startled look briefly crossed his face. "So," he said, pushing his hands into his pockets and turning on his heel to finally look at Lucius. "What do you have here?"

As if knowing that the Doctor had figured it out, Lucius said coldly, "Enlighten me."

"What?" said the Doctor with a gasp of false surprise. "The soothsayer doesn't know?"

Quintus winced and Jay shook her head. That wasn't going to help. But Lucius merely said, "A seed may float on the breeze in any direction."

The Doctor snorted softly in amusement at the looks on Jay's and Quintus's faces. "It's an energy converter," he told them all, and Jay arched a brow questioningly. Of _what_? But he answered the question without it needing to be said aloud. "I don't know what it's for, but isn't that brilliant?" He beamed at Quintus, who looked downright confused by the Doctor's behavior. "I love not knowing. Keeps me on my toes." He bounced on the balls of his feet pointedly. "It must be awful being a prophet...waking up every morning, knowing if it's going to rain or not. Takes all the fun out of life. But who designed this, Lucius? Who gave you the instructions for these circuits?" Lucius scoffed, and the Doctor grew serious, his features softening briefly. "Lucius, honestly, we're on your side. I can help."

Lucius snarled, "You insult the gods. At arms!"

The men on either side of him immediately lifted their swords and Jay forced herself not to react outside of a tight smile. Terrified, Quintus began to beg for mercy from Lucius. The Doctor didn't look concerned enough to make Jay too alarmed as he said calmly, "Come on now, Quintus, dignity in death. Look at Jay, she's even facing it with a smile." She sent him a dirty look. "I respect your victory, Lucius...shake on it?" Lucius was stoic, refusing to acknowledge the Doctor's request as he extended his hand. "Come on, dying man's wish."

When he didn't react still, the Doctor took matters into his own hand. He fearlessly stepped forward, took a hold of the hand hidden beneath Lucius's crimson cloak-

Lucius cried out when the Doctor withdrew, a stone hand and part of a forearm clasped within his. "Oh, my God!" Jay cried, caught off guard at the sight as Lucius angrily threw back his cloak, showing the stone that had long since taken over his right arm.

"The work of the gods!" Lucius declared, refusing to be ashamed of the matter.

The Doctor snapped his gaze briefly to Jay's and she tensed, recognizing the look. Time to run. He threw the arm at Lucius, shouting Quintus's name, and then took of for the window, sonic screwdriver aimed at the stone circuits. They hit the ground with a crash, and he pushed it into Jay's fingers so he could help she and Quintus out the window after him.

"Run!" the Doctor ordered sharply as they scrambled out. He made sure he was the last one out and when he'd clambered out of the window, too, he pushed Jay and Quintus forward.

The trio sprinted down the street and the Doctor and Jay slowed to let Quintus take the lead, trusting that the youngest of them would be able to guide them back to his home, where the TARDIS and Donna - and safety - would be.

Eventually, after a few minutes, Jay couldn't run anymore. She slowed to a walk, heaving for air and coughing. She doubled over, gasping, and the Doctor backtracked when he realized she'd stopped to check on her. She waved him off. It had nothing to do with her issues; she was merely out of breath from running.

Quintus came back, too, and the Doctor looked around them as he said, out of breath, "No sign of them. Nice little bit of _allons-y_ there...I think we're alright for now." He straightened, looking back in the direction they'd come.

Quintus suddenly spoke, his voice trembling with worry. "Doctor...his arm. Is that what's happening to Evelina?"

Jay glanced up, blinking. Was his sister turning to stone as well? She'd not seen anything when they'd been back at the villa-

A massive sound had them all jumping, and Jay snapped upright, too. They looked around, worried. Quintus suggested that it was the mountain when the sound repeated again, and then again, sounding closer with each time it occurred. "No, can't be Vesuvius," he muttered, shaking his head. "It's coming closer. Footsteps…?" He looked down at his feet, blinking. "Footsteps underground," he breathed, and then grabbed Quintus's arm and yanked him forward at a dead run.

"Here we go again," Jay seethed and tore off after them.

They bolted as quickly as they could through the streets, and didn't hesitate to burst into the home of Quintus's family. They swept in hastily as people within the home, family and servants alike, panicked, crying out in worry. The Doctor didn't take but a moment to assess the situation. "Out!" he bellowed, grabbing a man and shoving him towards the exit. "All of you, get out!"

"Donna!" Jay cried in relief when she saw the red-haired woman. Donna whirled around, and caught Jay when she tripped. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"I'm fine," Donna said, eyes stretched wide, "but what's-"

She was interrupted when the grille covering the hypocaust suddenly exploded into the air. Donna and Jay snapped down to avoid being struck with it, throwing their arms over their heads. The Doctor uttered a rare curse beneath his breath when it struck a wall so hard it cracked. He darted over to check on them, not tearing his eyes from the creature that suddenly began to emerge, roaring its fury. It was massive, and looked like it was made entirely of stone that held a core of something hot and magma-like. Jay shuddered at the idea of touching it, imagining that it would burn them immensely.

Clutching her mother, Evelina breathed, "The gods are with us."

The Doctor pushed past the panic that was displayed upon the features of those who called the building home. He did a speedy check; no one had left despite their instructions, meaning that several were in danger. "Water!" he suddenly cried. "We need water! Quintus, all of you! Get water!"

"Come on, Donna," Jay said, dragging her friend after Quintus when he darted off. Many servants followed suit, and Jay felt a flicker of relief. At least some of them knew to obey orders when things were going bad. They went down a hall within the building, and Quintus hastily pointed them to a few buckets when they'd caught up, already filling one himself. He and a few of the servants darted off, leaving Jay and Donna to catch up.

Jay released Donna, grabbing a bucket and pushing it at her. "Here," she gasped, hearing a few short screams that made her wince. She wondered what had happened. Rather than dwelling on it, she pointed to the water before grabbing a bucket herself. Face set in determination, Donna did as she was told - for once, thought Jay with amusement as she joined her.

They knelt beside the well within the home, their knees stinging as they dropped hard onto stone and marble. The water was shockingly cold despite the hot springs that ran through the area and filled the homes with warmth - that filled the future-seers' lungs with the stone they were turning to. "Ready?" began Jay as she stood, only to jump when cold water suddenly washed over her feet.

"Jay!" cried Donna, thrashing against the hands that had grabbed her. Jay whirled around, blue eyes flying wide in shock at the crimson-cloaked woman that had curled their fingers nastily around her arms. The bucket in her hands tumbled to the ground, splashing more water, and she lurched forward.

"Let go of her!" snarled Jay, latching onto the cloak of the woman nearest to her. Her heavily make-up hid her face fairly well, even when Jay had ripped her hood down and revealed lovely auburn hair that was a little lighter than Donna's. "Let her go!"

The woman trying to help snatch Donna gasped in surprise and winced when Jay's fingers snagged a few strands of hair. Blue eyes flashed viciously, even as the pins and needles that filled her fingertips made her want to let go. The woman, in a fit of desperation, hissed and lashed out, her nails raking over Jay's cheek. Flecks of blood spotted her flesh, but she ignored it. "Donna," she gasped, latching onto her friend's wrist. The woman backed away a few steps.

"We must go," insisted another cloaked woman, "the High Priestess-"

Donna's hand wrapped around her own, fear in her face. Fear was replaced with alarm a moment later. "Jay-"

Something hard collided with the back of Jay's head and she dropped like a stone, gasping in pain. The world spun around her as she tried to regain her bearings. "Jay!" she heard Donna call again, and she struggled to get to her feet, unable to see straight.

"Donna!" she mumbled, horrified. Darkness swam in and then back out, and she became aware mere moments later of hands on her shoulders, a voice speaking urgently in her ear. She blearily pried open her eyes, not entirely sure she remembered closing them. She latched onto the familiar pin-striped suit and immediately grabbed at the arms that were pulling her upright. "Doctor!" she wheezed. "Doctor, Donna's-"

"Gone," he said, eyes dark with angry concern. "I know. Are you okay? Was it another attack?" He checked the scratches on her cheek and wiped away some blood with gentle fingers. "That doesn't seem to match up with them-"

"No," she said, finally clearing her eyes. Shaking her head slowly to try and clear it despite the throbbing at the back of her skull, Jay grabbed his shoulders and gave him a small shake to show that she was recovering at least a little. "Not an attack, just a knock to the head with a bucket, I think. Help me up."

The Doctor frowned, eyes still full of worry, and helped her to her feet as requested. He let her grip his forearms with tight fingers to ensure that she wouldn't fall again, a sharp eye cast over around. "Where's Donna?" he demanded. "Do you remember?"

"These weird women grabbed her," she confirmed, lifting her gaze to meet his. Jay took a deep breath to steady herself, drawing up the best description she could. "They wore these bright red cloaks," she added when she'd finished. "I think they've been following us...I kept seeing some glimpses of them when we were wandering around Pompeii earlier." She dropped her hands away, feeling confident that she could stand and wouldn't fall over.

The Doctor raked a hand through his dark hair, thinking. He'd not seen anything of the sort, nor had he seen any of the women that Jay had described. He didn't think she was lying or imagining things; she disliked lying and preferred the truth over everything else for the most part. But still, this meant nothing good. Pompeii was on the eve of the eruption of a famous volcano, there were monstrous creatures living beneath the crust of the earth ready to come up and kill them, and now Donna was missing.

"She's as much trouble as you and Martha were combined," complained the Doctor with a scowl, and Jay gave him a look of disapproval for his comment.

"Forget that, let's just go find her," she said, rubbing the back of her head and wincing at the lump she found there. "I can hear her. The song she gives off...it's faint, but she's in that direction." She pointed towards the direction the Doctor knew that Mount Vesuvius resided, and he sighed.

"Let's go get Donna."

* * *

Donna was furious. She yanked at her hands and ankles. She was tied to a stone altar with a woman standing nearby, a large knife held in her hand. It made Donna nervous, the sight of that sharp blade. Other women stood in a circle around them, and Donna got the feeling that this wasn't good at all.

Only she would get herself into this mess, she thought crossly, and it was entirely the Doctor's fault. Well, maybe not entirely, she supposed. She could be a bit more careful, even if she _was_ trying to help the citizens of the city...well, actually, maybe this was entirely her fault, she decided as the woman suddenly declared, "The False Prophet will surrender both her blood and her breath."

Donna scowled viciously at her and kicked again to try and free herself. "I'll surrender _you_ in a minute," she seethed, piercing eyes narrowed and red hair askew. The woman scoffed and told her to be quiet. "Listen, sister," she retorted furiously, thinking these to be the women who the young Evelina was promised to simply because of the marks on the backs of their hands, "you might have eyes on the back of your hands, but you'll have eyes in the back of your head by the time I've finished with you! Let me go!"

"This prattling voice will cease forever!" she said sharply, annoyed with Donna's commentary. She raised the knife proudly above her head.

"Oh, that'll be the day," mused a voice that made Donna smile. She wanted to punch the Doctor as he leaned against a pillar, a sharp-eyed Jay standing close to him with her fingers twitching. She gave Jay a gentle smile to try and reassure her, worried. She'd been hit rather hard and Donna hoped she was okay.

The women gasped around her, startled by the man who had made himself at home in _their_ temple. The woman with the knife nearly dropped her blade, caught off guard. "No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sibyl!" she sputtered, staring at him uneasily.

"Well, that's all okay, right?" said the Doctor, glancing at Jay with a wink. "Just us girls." She shook her head, a smile dancing along her lips. "Do you know, I met the Sibyl once. One hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance the Tarantella! Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing to me," he added to Jay with a wiggled brow. "I said it would never last. She said, 'I know.' Well, she would."

"Doctor," Jay said, exasperated. "Are you alright over there, Donna?" Her eyes flashed worriedly, and Donna smiled tightly at her again.

"Oh, never better," she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I like the toga," the Doctor complimented with a wiggle of his fingers. "The ropes...not so much." He withdrew his sonic screwdriver, pressing his thumb over the button. A slight smile crept over his features when Donna muttered her relief upon being released from her bonds. She shot upright despite the fact that there was still a knife uncomfortably close to her person.

"What magic is this?" muttered the woman with the knife, puzzled.

"Let me tell you about the Sibyl," the Doctor said, gesturing Donna over. The woman let her pass, and Jay stumbled forward a few steps to greet Donna with a sound of relief. She wrapped her arms around the older woman, and Donna whispered something to her, comforting. The Doctor just barely caught her words as she said, "We're alright, aren't we? That daft idiot's got a plan?"

He wasn't sure whether or not he should take insult in her comment. He was quite adept at creating plans on the fly - at planning in general, actually. The Doctor took quite a bit of pride in the matter. He focused back on those that filled the room. "Sibyl...the founder of this religion...she would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour. Is that how you spread the word?" The Doctor nodded at the knife in the woman's hand, and she bristled, immediately reeling back to hurl it at him.

Jay stiffened ready to push him aside if necessary, but a voice spoke hoarsely, filling the air. "Show me this man!" it cried. Jay's eyes darted around as she watched every single woman within the room except for she and Donna suddenly turn towards a part of the room she'd not noticed and drop gracefully to their knees. The knife-holding woman protested, but the voice said firmly, "Let me see. This one is different...he carries starlight in his wake."

The Doctor took advantage of their distraction to step forward, moving closer to the bed. He ushered his companions forward, too, with a hand on the smalls of their backs. Donna sent him an annoyed look, smacking him away; Jay let him, distracted completely by the person that seemed to realize they came from the stars.

"Very perceptive," the Doctor complimented warily, straightening his sleeves as he eyed the altar-like area before them. Not an altar, but a bed, he realized moments later. "Where do these words of wisdom come from, may I ask?"

"The gods whisper to me."

"They've done far more than that," the Doctor guessed, stepping past Donna and Jay. He glanced over his shoulder at them, gesturing for them to remain where they were when Donna opened her mouth. "Might I beg an audience? Look upon the High Priestess?" His gaze was sharp despite the friendly smile that was on his face, an expression the Doctor often wore when he wasn't entirely pleased with something.

There was a moment in which he thought that his request would be denied and he'd have to force it, but the curtains that surrounded the bed were suddenly pulled aside. He blinked at what was initially thought to be a statue, only to realize that it - _she_ \- had been human and was now stone, having been turned to it by the vapors she'd likely consumed.

A loud gasp escaped Donna, and she grabbed Jay's forearm in worry for the woman. "Oh, my _God_ ," she said. "What's happened to you?"

"The heavens have blessed me," said the High Priestess hoarsely, sounding rather breathless.

The Doctor wasn't sure he'd call it a blessing, the inability to move in such a way. He moved closer after gaining permission and touched the woman's hands with gentle fingers, worried about her despite the fact that her Sisterhood had kidnapped and intended to sacrifice Donna. It was fascinating, this condition. "Does it hurt?" he asked somewhat kindly.

"It is necessary," the High Priestess said tightly. "The voices told us as much."

Donna's voice was tight when she turned to the priestess who had wielded the knife. The woman's attempts had been forgotten in her confusion over the High Priestess's decision. "Is that what's gonna happen to Evelina?" Jay glanced to her, recognizing the name. Donna's eyes were angry and clear with worry for the young girl. "Her arm...is this what's happening to all of you?"

The priestess showed them her hand, which was flaked with stone that matched that of Lucius's since-removed arm and the body of the High Priestess. "The blessings," the priestess said as Donna and Jay leaned over her, studying the stone anxiously, "are manifold."

"They're _stone_ ," Donna breathed and Jay glanced sharply over her shoulder at the High Priestess.

"Why are so many of the people of Pompeii turning to stone? Is it because of the stone they're inhaling, do you think?" she asked, removing herself from Donna's grip and joining the Doctor. He bumped her gently with his shoulder in greeting, and she flashed him a wary smile, recognizing that something different was about - and that the Doctor knew it. He likely knew what it was and was just stringing things along like he tended to do - much to her annoyance.

"This word," the High Priestess murmured, studying the Doctor, "this… 'volcano.' What is that?"

The Doctor ignored her question and said instead, pushing his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels, "More to the point, why don't you know about it? Who are you?" The High Priestess gave just that as her answer and he shook his head, disagreeing. "No, no, no, no," he fired off in a rapid series of words, "I speak to the creature inside of you. The thing that's seeding itself into a human body in the dust in the lungs, taking over the flesh and turning it into...what?" He cocked his head when she remained silent, puzzling over what he could be. He lifted his voice to a near shout. "You can read my mind...I demand you tell me who you are!"

The near-roar that left the stone woman's mouth had Jay jumping nearly a foot in the air, her hand snagging the Doctor's sleeve. "We are awakening!" whatever it was cried, and the priestesses all gasped about something regarding gods before beginning to chant.

"Name yourself!" the Doctor said firmly, refusing to budge. He needed to know what this thing was in order to stop whatever bad thing it was doing. If it even was. He still wasn't sure yet, although he was leaning towards a bad thing. At least something good was coming out of their worrisome visit to the town of Pompeii. "I want planet of origin. Galactic coordinates. Species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation."

"Pyrovile," was the only answer it gave in a near snarl.

Donna edged forward now, leaning her head near the Doctor's ear to whisper, "What's a Pyrovile?"

The Doctor inclined his head warily towards the woman upon the bed. "Well, that's a Pyrovile, growing inside her, and she's only a halfway stage. The thing in the villa? That was an adult Pyrovile."

The three got the feeling that a rather nasty set of eyes suddenly turned on them. The half-way Pyrovile snarled. "And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you, Doctor," it growled, shifting, and Jay jolted when the Doctor pulled something hastily from his suit jacket - something small and plastic and weirdly yellow. She didn't recognize it, but Donna gaped in astonishment, clearly recognizing it. "I warn you, I'm armed!" he yelled, wielding it like a pistol at the Pyrovile. He snapped Donna a warning look over his shoulder and ordered, "Donna, get that grille open."

Donna opened her mouth to question him, but Jay shoved her towards the grille that she knew he meant, intent on helping her. It resembled the vent that had resided within the house they'd occupied shortly beforehand. "Come on," Jay said as the Doctor loudly asked, "What are the Pyrovile doing here?"

"We fell from the heavens," it answered, not seeming to notice as Jay and Donna latched their fingers in the heavy grating and moved it aside with immense effort, tugging and tugging until it budged. "We fell so far, and so fast, we were rendered into dust. We have slept beneath the earth for thousands of years."

"Okay," the Doctor said, thinking quickly. "About seventeen years ago, you woke up. And now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourselves, but why the psychic powers?" He glanced back to check on the progress of his friends; Donna slipped as she gave a harsh yank. He winced and turned his attention back on the dangerous situation at hand, keeping an eye on the other priestesses as he did.

"We opened their minds and found such gifts…"

"Okay, get that fine." He took a slow step back, glancing back again. Frustration filled him. They were taking so _long_. "So you force yourself inside a human brain, use the latent psychic talent to bond, I get that, I get that. But seeing the future, that is way beyond psychic. You can see through _time_. Where does the gift of prophecy come from?"

"Doctor, we've got it!" Jay called, and the Doctor nodded, hastily telling them to get down into it. Jay blinked at him, arching a brow. He responded with an impatient wave, and she sighed before promising Donna that the Doctor likely had a plan and that they needed to get moving.

The Doctor waited until Donna was lowered into the grate with Jay's help to demand, "Why can't this lot predict a volcano? Why is it being hidden?"

"Sisters," said the knife-wielder quite suddenly, "I see into his mind! The weapon is harmless!"

"Doctor!" Jay cried, half-exasperated at this revelation and half-concerned that he'd get hurt before he could do anything. What was the point of a harmless weapon? Then again, she supposed, half-clambering into the vent herself, she supposed that she had no place in the TARDIS if she actually expected him to point a weapon at anyone.

"Yeah," he admitted, firing it at the High Priestess, who screamed as water struck her. "It's got a sting." He bolted for the vent, pausing to help Jay finish climbing in. He winced when he ducked to avoid a knife that was thrown his way, listening to it hiss by before dropping in heavily himself. He didn't know if they would follow, but was sure they'd tend to their High Priestess first, giving them a head start at the very least.

"You fought her off with a water pistol," Donna greeted him with, earning a grin on his part. Her eyes were sparkling with laughter, her lips curved into a large smile as she laughed, "I bloody love you."

Winking, the Doctor nudged she and Jay forward. "This way," he said, "towards the volcano."

Donna nearly stopped point blank, but Jay kept going, only asking over her shoulder, "Why?"

"It's where we need to go," answered the Doctor as if that was an answer, and Jay decided to just accept it and push forward. They began following the path the vent laid out for them, moving at a swift walk. He listened intently when Donna asked Jay if she was doing alright, if she was going to have any problems any time soon. Jay, smiling and knowing what she meant, shook her head. She'd be fine for some time, she thought.

"So," Donna said as they walked, "if it's aliens setting off the volcano...doesn't that make it alright for you to stop it?"

The Doctor's gaze softened, even as he said firmly, "It's still part of history, Donna."

"But I'm history to you," she said in a soft voice. "You saved me, in two-thousand-eight. You saved us all. Why's that different?"

"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed." When Donna opened her mouth again, the Doctor cut her off, speaking firmly and leaving no room for argument. "That's how I see the universe, Donna. Every waking second, I can see what is, what was,w hat could be, what must not. That's the burden of the Time Lords, Donna, and I'm the only one left."

Donna fixed him with a steely gaze, though there was some sympathy in her face. "How many died?"

"Stop it," he said irritably.

"Doctor, how many people died?"

"Twenty-thousand."

"Is that what you can see, Doctor? All twenty-thousand? And you think that's all right, do you?"

Jay, who'd been listening for some time now to the semi-bickering going on, finally interrupted. "Donna," she said quietly, but firmly. "That's enough. Now's not the time for this." As if to back up her words, there was a very loud howl flooded the tunnels and made Jay wince. The Doctor muttered his agreements and ushered them on until they arrived in a large cavern that filled the heart of Vesuvius. The Doctor declared it as such as they crouched behind a large boulder to hide and look. Jay squeezed herself between them to keep them from arguing further about what was going to happen regarding Pompeii. "So," she whispered to the Doctor, pointing to a rather large thing in the middle of the cavern. It resembled another boulder, much like the one they were hiding behind, with an opening. "What's _that_?"

The Doctor withdrew what Jay thought to be a type of telescope from his never-ending pockets. Jay made a mental note to request that he do whatever he'd done to his pockets to her own. It had to be useful for something. "That's how they arrived," he reported, squinting through the device at the object. "Or what's left of it. Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?"

"But why do they need a volcano?" voiced Donna with a frown. "Maybe...it erupts, and they launch themselves back into space or something?"

Jay thought it was a rather smart inclination, but the Doctor shook his head. Worse, then. Just great. Another howl filled the air and Jay flinched, grabbing the Doctor's arm and tugging. "It's-"

A voice interrupted her, shouting above the sounds. "Heathens!" cried LUcius from where he stood at the other side of the cave. "Defile us! They would desecrate your temple, my gods!"

"Quick!" the Doctor said as they all bolted around their hiding place. He lead them towards the object they'd been studying, firing his water gun at a Pyrovile that tried to step in front of them. It screamed as it recoiled, and they ducked aorund it. The Doctor paused at the entrance to the small capsule-like space, making sure that his friends had ducked in. He planted himself in the center of the exit, eyes cold as he stared down Lucius. "Now then, Lucius, Pyrovilia. Don't get yourselves in a lather. In a lava?" he mused, glancing back at the annoyed Jay. "No? No. But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish...once this new race of creatures is complete, then what?"

Lucius stared him down, his missing arm evident in the way his cape was now held. "My masters will follow the example of Rome itself. An almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilization."

"But if you've crashed," Jay said as she emerged a little, standing at the Doctor's shoulder. A sharp incline of a ramp allowed her to do so without having to step around him to see. "You've got all of this technology, and it's pretty damn good tech, then why don't you just go home?"

"The Heaven of Pyrovilia is gone," he sneered, and Jay blinked.

"Wait," said the Doctor slowly, "What do you mean 'gone'? Where's it gone?"

"It was taken," said Lucius. "Pyrovilia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for a new species to rise." When the Doctor made a comment about the amount of water that resided upon the Earth, Lucius crowed, "Water can boil, and everything will _burn_ , Doctor!"

The Doctor backed up step-by-step, forcing Jay back towards where Donna peered out anxiously, her purple toga stained with soot and ash. "Then the whole planet is at stake, thank you. That's all I needed to know." He slammed his hand over a button when they were inside, sealing the entrance behind them. Just to make sure no one would get in, he used the sonic screwdriver to lock it entirely and then tossed it to Jay, whirling around. Ignoring Donna's protest that they were trapped and that it was hot, he looked down upon the technology that was held within the capsule.

"See?" he murmured, glancing at Jay. She leaned over to look, knowing that he wanted her opinion on what surrounded them. She was by no means an expert, but her father's business had taught her quite a bit. "The energy converter takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix, which welds Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete and they can convert millions."

Jay studied what he'd pointed out and ran her fingers over the machinery before looking over when Donna said, "But can't you change it with these controls?"

"Oh, Donna," breathed Jay, understanding racing through her. "That's why they couldn't see the volcano, right, Doctor? There was none. It wasn't going to ever erupt, but the Pyrovile are stealing its power and are going to use it to steal the world. But...if you invert the system, it sets off the volcano and destroys them." Her gaze lifted grimly. "That takes Pompeii with them. We can either let them convert countless people," she said, her mind flashing back to the Toclafane and the Master, "or we can destroy Pompeii."

Donna's mouth dropped open in horror, and the Doctor smiled faintly, not at all happy with the decision that had appeared before them. "If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history," he said softly. "It's me. I make it happen."

"But the Pyrovile are made of rocks, maybe they can't be blown up," fretted Donna, and the Doctor shook his head.

"Vesuvius explodes with the force of twenty-four nuclear bombs, Donna," he said gently, and Jay realized where the conversation had been heading when he added quietly, "Certainly not us."

"Nevermind us," said Donna angrily. She swallowed thickly and repeated it. "Nevermind us."

Jay studied the Doctor's face as he studied a particular lever and a howl filled the air outside: an angry Pyrovile, wanting in. She could see it in his face. The indecision. He didn't want to kill twenty-thousand people. She knew what this meant. He'd lost his entire planet, his home and family, and he was being forced to choose whether or not to do it again. He was being forced to play a god he tried his hardest not to be. She watched as Donna closed her mouth and put her hand in his, squeezing as tears formed in her eyes.

Neither wanted to be in charge of this, and neither deserved it, Jay thought.

Donna was special, so empathetic towards those in Pompeii that it physically hurt her to make this choice, and the Doctor...well, he'd done this far too often, Jay knew. She'd been present for some of these decisions, even.

Another howl. The capsule rocked slightly and they all staggered, throwing their arms out for balance. They were running out of time, and the Doctor seemed to realize that, too. He took a deep breath and reached forward to just go through with it. He'd killed his own people, after all. What was twenty-thousand more to his impressive record?

But then Jay was elbowing him out of the way, her eyes hardening. "This isn't your decision," she said firmly, curling her fingers around the handle. Her breath was ragged. She didn't want to do this either, but...she felt that it was better for her to do it. Felt that she could handle the decision best out of all three of them. "You've made enough decisions like this."

"Jay," he warned, eyes widening, but she yanked the lever before she could be stopped. There was a moment of silence, in which she lifted her gaze to stare him down, meeting his shocked eyes with her own grim ones. "What did you-"

The capsule suddenly yanked violently, thrown, and cries filled the air as all three were sent sprawling. It spun violently, and Donna screamed in panic as it seemed to roll and throw them around. She yelped when she hit her hand sharply on something, drawing blood, and the Doctor grunted when he was slammed into a wall. Jay's hip hit something sharply, and she knew immediately that if they miraculously survived, there would be a bruise.

Just as quickly, however, the capsule came to a stop. The Doctor, coughing, unlocked the exit and stumbled out, helping Donna with him. Jay crawled out before climbing to her feet, swiping blonde locks from her face. The Doctor gave her an uneasy look, as if he wasn't sure how to deal with her for the time being. Deciding to focus on the matter later, as they couldn't change what had happened, he grabbed Donna's hand and shouted, "C'mon!"

He tore off and Jay bolted after him. They descended into Pompeii as the volcano behind them spouted ash. Even now, it was sprinkling down upon them, burning where it touched. When they reached Pompeii, the sun had been hidden by ash. The town was in chaos. People screamed in panic, trying to run with nowhere to escape to.

Jay was nearly swept into the crowd, effectively separated. "Doctor! Donna!" she shouted over the commotion, elbowing her way through, and the Doctor faltered, pausing to reach out a hand desperately. She snagged it, and then they were running again, pushing through those violent crowds.

As they ran, Donna sobbed. "Don't!" she screamed to those who ran past them. "Don't go to the beach! Go to the hills! Listen to me! Don't go to the beach, it's not safe! Listen to-" She tripped over a child that had been lost in the streets. He stood alone, screaming and crying for his mother, and even the Doctor paused when Donna yanked her hand free.

"Come here," she pleaded, reaching for him, intent on helping, but then the mother was there, sweeping the boy into her arms. She ran and Donna just stood there for a moment, weeping over the matter.

The Doctor retreated back to gently take her hand again. "C'mon," he murmured, forcing her forward. They had to get to the TARDIS. _Had_ to, or risk being buried alive by hot ash. And he wouldn't allow that. Had it been just him, maybe, but not Donna and Jay.

He herded the pair back to Caecilius's villa, and through the halls. Some of the building had collapsed in their absence and Jay felt a stab of grief when she saw the small family huddled together. Evelina and Metella sobbed against each other, and even Quintus was curled against Caecilius, who did the best that he could to comfort them. "God save us, Doctor!" he cried upon seeing them.

The Doctor cast a single look at them and then instead turned and unlocked the TARDIS doors, slipping inside. Donna sobbed, and Jay squeezed her arm, refusing to move as the TARDIS groaned in protest. "No," Donna breathed in shock as the engines started. "No, Doctor, you can't!" she lifted her voice to a cry. She frantically darted inside.

Jay didn't move an inch, staring at those doors. She knew him, she liked to think. Maybe not as well as she sometimes thought, but she knew him - and she had come to understand Donna a bit better recently. _Come on, Doctor_ , she pleaded. _She doesn't want the whole town, not anymore. Just someone._ It would lessen the guilt he felt, the guilt _she_ felt, because she'd brought this down upon Pompeii.

Better her than the others, she had told herself, and continued to do as hot ash seared her skin, making her slap a hand over the spot. She would never regret being the one to make the decision, no matter how much those screaming faces would be emblazoned in her mind. No matter if the Doctor decided she was no longer worth traveling with them.

 _Just one_.

She didn't move, not even when the TARDIS started to fade, just a bit. Donna would convince him, she knew. The TARDIS was crying, its song twisted and dismayed at the idea of leaving Jay behind. Jay didn't know if he just didn't know she was aboard or was willing to leave her behind on purpose.

But then the TARDIS solidified and a brisk laugh left her mouth. "Well done, Donna!" she cried to the shocked family's confusion behind her. The doors to the TARDIS were thrown open and the Doctor stepped back out, his face grim but determined.

"Well," he said almost crossly, "come on, then." He stretched out a hand, meeting Jay's gaze, and she smiled faintly, stepping forward to take it.

* * *

"It's never forgotten, Caecilius," the Doctor said softly as they stood upon a hill, watching Vesuvius reign its terror upon Pompeii. He glanced around, counting heads. Everyone was present but Jay, and he wondered briefly where she'd gone. He'd need to have a chat with her about what had happened, although he was still uncertain of what to say entirely. "Time will pass, men will move on, and stories will fade, but one day, it will be found again. In thousands of years, everyone will remember Pompeii."

Metella's lips trembled as she considered all of their friends - family, even - that remained trapped, but she wrapped an arm tightly around Quintus, grateful for what she had with her. Donna noticed and immediately offered her a comforting smile before turning her attention on Evelina. "What about you? Can you see anything?"

Evelina shook her head, dark hair spilling over her shoulders. "The visions have gone," she said softly.

"The explosion was so powerful it cracked open a rift in time," the Doctor reported, rocking back on his heels. "Just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovilian alternative, but not anymore." No, never again. "You're free."

"But tell me," Metella said softly, looking to the Doctor, "who are you, Doctor? With your words, and your temple containing such size within?"

"Oh, I was never here," the Doctor said, winking. "Don't tell anyone."

"The great god Vulcan must be enraged!" breathed Caecilius, his eyes brimming with tears as he watched the ash cloud finally engulf the town that had been their home. "It's so volcanic...it's like some sort of…" He shook his head, choking on his own words. "Gods, all of those people…"

Metella took him into her arms, tears rolling down her cheeks, and Evelina and Quintus gently grasped hands tightly, relieved that one another was okay. The Doctor shooed Donna quietly towards the TARDIS, taking only one final moment to look at them. "Thank you," she told him quietly and sincerely, and she smiled at him. Her words echoed in his ears.

 _"Just someone, Doctor. Please. Not the whole town. Just save_ someone _."_

The Doctor squeezed her shoulder as he closed the TARDIS doors behind them and then turned away. "Go get something to eat and some rest," he said gently. "I need to go and find Jay."

Donna caught his wrist when he turned to go, and he glanced back at her. She searched his gaze. "Don't be too harsh," she said pleadingly. Her lips trembled a little. "I was going to do it. When she did it...I was going to pull the lever myself, Doctor. You aren't the only one who has to or will make those decisions. It's why we're here. To help you, our friend, as we travel the stars."

The Doctor's features softened a fraction as he smiled at her. "I know. Thank you, Donna." She'd been right, that evening after he'd ruined her wedding and dropped her off at home. He needed people, for when hard things like this happened. It didn't mean, however, that he had to like what Jay had done.

Donna let him go and he headed into the TARDIS, very aware of the humming in the air. The TARDIS was cranky with him, he noted. He'd promised to never leave Jay behind without warning, and he fully intended to keep that promise no matter what she did. She was his friend and while he was incredibly annoyed that she'd made such a decision for him...he had heard what she'd told him. _"You've made enough decisions like this."_

He'd made many decisions like that - and it was for that very reason that he didn't want his companions making them. They had no business subjecting themself to that kind of guilt. He'd always gotten onto companions about such matters. He'd scolded Rose severely for it, Martha, those who had come before the pair and Jay. He'd been mocked, accused, even taunted for allowing his friends to turn into people capable of such decisions.

The Doctor refused to allow Donna and Jay walk that path, too.

He found Jay in the library, something he wasn't surprised about. He tended to oftentimes find her there. Rather than having a book in hand, however, she was curled on the sofa before the fireplace within the massive room, her blue eyes locked on the entrance as if she'd known he was on his way.

Again, the Doctor supposed, not surprising. The TARDIS likely alerted her to it, with how attached the TARDIS was to her. He wanted to know more about that, although he didn't think now was the time.

"Hello, Doctor," said Jay quietly, her lips pressed together. She tried to smile although she failed miserably at doing so. Her eyes were swollen, as if she'd cried, and the Doctor furrowed his brow as he dropped to sit on the sofa beside her. She tightened her arms around her knees, flicking her fingers mindlessly, as if they'd fallen asleep. He made a mental note of that, knowing that it was a part of tracking the process of her next incoming attack.

"Hello," he said just as quietly.

They sat together in peaceful silence, although Jay kept glancing nervously at him. Finally, she said, "Am I done?" He glanced at her, confused. "I was under the assumption that I'd be kicked out. For what I did."

He let out a loud breath through his nose. "No," said the Doctor. "I wouldn't kick you out. I don't do that unless it's something truly bad."

"I'd consider making the decision to kill twenty-thousand people pretty damn bad," said Jay under her breath and he smiled tightly and corrected her.

"Nineteen-thousand-nine-hundred-and-six, Jay. Not twenty-thousand." Thanks to Donna, of course. He sighed heavily, stretching his legs out a little. He really needed to get the TARDIS moving, before Caecilius tried to see if they could come back in. He hoped Donna didn't let them if they did.

He should have been angrier than he was, but he couldn't find the energy for it after witnessing all of that destruction minutes ago. "Don't do it again," he said after a few moments. "You can't make decisions like that for me. Those are choices that I have to make."

"But they're not," she said, voice quivering a little. "They're really _not_. I can't speak for Donna, but I'm your friend. I've seen you make those decisions before, Doctor, and I won't let you make them alone. If we're traveling together, we make those decisions together." She sent him a sharp look. "And if you expect otherwise, then too bad." She added after a moment's thought, "I couldn't let Donna do that to herself."

The Doctor eyed her, and then shook his head, reaching over to ruffle her hair playfully. "Fine, but that wasn't together."

"Maybe not." Jay winced and swatted his hands away with a ghost of a smile dancing along her lips. "But still. Is it a deal? We make those kinds of decisions together, Doctor?" She offered a hand and the Doctor shook his head, not entirely sure it was a good idea to be making such a deal with a member of a family who was notorious for following through on deals in manners that weren't always the right way. Still, he shook her hand, curling his fingers tightly around hers.

"Deal," he said, and she flashed him a bright smile. "Now go get something to eat and get some rest," he added, standing. "I'll be in the control room if you need me."

Perhaps it was better that she'd not come out to see Pompeii burn, he thought as he went to move the TARDIS and let it float blindly through space and time until they were ready to move on. But he didn't think she'd forget the people running and screaming and crying in the streets anytime soon, and fully expected to see her up far sooner than was healthy when she went to sleep.

When he reached the control room, he took stock of it, listening to the rumble of the TARDIS's engines as if she knew they would soon take off, and despite everything that had happened, the Doctor felt at peace for the time being.

* * *

 _At long last I've updated. Perhaps I'll get another chapter out in the next month. Not too confident about that last part with the Doctor and Jay, but needed to push onwards. SO! Next up is the Ood! I've been rather excited for that. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers_ _(bored411, brmngirl, and Kayla!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I truly appreciate it!_


	19. Planet of the Ood

Jay grunted when the TARDIS landed rather roughly, the entire control room rocking and nearly sending her sprawling. Donna, on the other hand, did go sprawling, having missed the opportunity to take a good enough grip on something before they landed. The Doctor was mightily proud of himself and grinned brightly, flashing white teeth at them. It had been a while since he had smiled so brightly at them, Jay thought, with his eyes crinkling at the corners and his dark eyes dancing.

She supposed that was her fault, but still.

It had been a few weeks since the incident with Pompeii, and in that time, they'd made a few stops - including a celebratory dinner in the Paris of the twenty-sixth century about Jay's year-long anniversary of joining the Doctor. She had silently thought it to be much, _much_ better than the original event had been. She still found herself dismayed over Pompeii, but keeping herself distracted helped.

She thought it had put her at a step closer to understanding the Doctor entirely.

She'd even done what Donna insisted to be a girls only evening, in which they'd hung out by themselves. Jay had shown Donna around the TARDIS more than she'd been able to explore in recent times, and they'd spent some time in the closets. Jay had shown her the library, too, her favorite room, but Donna had much preferred a rather lovely theatre-like room in which centuries-worth of movies had been found. As they'd watched something Jay had payed little attention to, Donna had told her the story of how she and the Doctor had met and had looked rather sad when Jay had returned the favor.

They'd started a new tradition that they'd invited the Doctor to, watching a movie every "night," or whenever they went to bed, unless they were truly exhausted from an adventure. Luckily, that had been rare; only twice in recent times had it been that extensive. All in all, the pair had become fairly good friends in the short amount of time they'd known one another.

In addition to all of their travels, they'd stopped once at a rather well-known jeweler on a spaceship far from Earth so that the Doctor could get the stone he'd found situated for her. She was pleased with the result. It held a permanent place at her throat now, alongside the key to the TARDIS. The opal-like gem gleamed prettily, and Jay found her head much quieter without the constant songs of the mysterious Donna Noble and the TARDIS in her head.

There'd been only one thing that Donna hadn't yet seen: a new planet, and the Doctor had vowed it would be their next trip.

"I set the controls to random!" the Doctor informed them rapidly, raking his hand through his messy hair as he moved around the console, twitchy in anticipation. "Mystery tour...outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, any when in the whole wide world."

Donna's eyes shone with excitement as she huffed through her nose. "History's one thing, but an alien planet…" She bit her lip, glancing at Jay shyly. Excitement turned to nerves. "I'm terrified! But still!"

Jay offered a kind smile and stepped up to rub her back soothingly. "I know, it's a bit weird, but it'll totally be worth it, believe me. There are so many pretty planets...oh!" She glanced over her shoulder at the Doctor. "We should take her to see that planet you showed Martha and me, Doctor, the one with the people who live in the trees?"

"Donna would like that one," the Doctor agreed. "We can go there next. Everything you feel, right now, the fear, the joy, the wonder," he added to Donna as he joined his friends, rocking forward a bit, "I still get that, too. Why do you think I keep traveling, even when I've seen so much?"

That seemed to revitalize her excitement. Donna threw her hands up and smiled at them, whirling on her heel. "Alright then, all three of us! This is barmy," she mused aloud to herself as she headed straight for the doors, leaving the Doctor and Jay to slowly trail after her. The Doctor wanted Donna to have the first step outside, something Jay was entirely fine with. This trip was for her, after all. As Donna launched into a description of something he wasn't paying attention to, he leaned in and spoke to Jay.

"Alright?" he questioned, tapping the veins that stuck out starkly against her pale skin on her elbow.

Jay flexed her fingers, testing the process she had to keep an eye on it at all times. "Should be," she promised. "Like I said, I think it slowed during our time on the _Valiant._ It's only up through here, even with all of the running we've done in the last few weeks." She tapped the last joint on her finger to motion to where the weird numb pain stopped.

"Good," said the Doctor, and then blinked when a cold wind suddenly blasted them in the face.

"I've got the word!" Donna was outlined against the bright, white snow and freezing cold, her arms wrapped around her body, and Jay laughed. "Freezing!"

"I'll go get some coats," Jay said to the Doctor, immediately turning and jogging for the entrance to the main part of the TARDIS. She hummed in response to Jay's fond touch to a panel.

It didn't take long for Jay to gather nice, large winter coats. When she bustled into the control room, a laugh escaped her. Donna was coming in, shivering, and scowling. "Space man's out there ranting while I'm cold," she grumbled as Jay helped her into a thick, furry coat. She hoisted up the hood over her red hair. "I don't even think he noticed I left."

"He is somewhat oblivious sometimes," Jay agreed. And he was, to such matters. As observant as he tended to be about many important things, the Doctor usually zoned out when giving one of his speeches, forgetting to pay attention to what those around him were doing. She locked the TARDIS behind her as she stepped outside again with Donna, pulling her own winter coat on and wondering how the Doctor wasn't cold in just his trench coat. Perhaps it was a Time Lord thing?

"Sorry," said Donna as Jay tucked her key into her shirt, where it clicked against the gem. "You were saying?"

The Doctor sighed heavily, having been cut off mid-speech. "Better?" he said, gesturing to the coat she wore. "Comfy?

"Yep," chirped Donna.

"Can you even hear anything inside that?" The Doctor squinted at the hood, eyeing the thickness of it as Jay pulled her own fur-lined hood over her head. Her blue eyes shone with laughter at the look on the Time Lord's face. He was insulted, that they'd thought it important to get warm when he'd been trying to speak to Donna. "Anyways, I was saying, citizen of the -"

"Rocket!" Donna interrupted with a shout as something suddenly roared past them overhead. All three tipped their heads back. Jay eyed the rocket critically, startled by the sight of it. She knew immediately that some of the parts must have come from her family's company, although she doubted it was her immediate family's company. Likely someone descended from her brother. It was large and silver, looking like what rockets tended to look like rather than a blue box. And Donna recognized that, grinning over her shoulder at the Doctor. "Now that's what I call a real proper rocket. You've got a box; he's got a Ferrari! Come on, let's go see where it's going!"

The Doctor jolted, offended that his TARDIS had been insulted, and Jay chuckled under her breath, grabbing his arm with cold fingers and tugging him forward. "Come on, Doctor," she said soothingly, "we all know the TARDIS is the best ship in the universe, and she's just excited. Let's go see what's up with this world, okay?"

The Doctor grumbled and let her pull him along for a short bit, his eyes wary as he watched Jay leave his side to join Donna, the pair laughing amongst themselves as they spoke about something or another. He trailed after them a few feet back, letting them have their fun. They more often than not got to experience the running rather than the fun, and he wanted them to have the fun of exploring this beautiful snowy planet while they could.

He hadn't recognized the rocket, so to say, but it had definitely been human, and wherever humans were...well, he loved the human race, but there was bound to be trouble.

After a while, Jay beckoned him to join them and he willingly did so, amused when Jay demanded that he tell Donna about a planet they'd visited with Martha, one full of beauty and peace, with creatures of all kinds that possessed no more intelligence than the animals of an African serengeti. It had been one of her favorite trips alongside the moon, and she beamed hopefully at him with sparkling blue eyes until he promised to take them there next. Donna had been excited at the promise, too, and his own face softened as he watched his two friends chatter, not having a care in the world.

It was after a while of walking that the Doctor first began to hear it. He faltered a step, peering around with interest as it swelled and faded before swelling again. "Hold on," he said, and Jay immediately stopped to look at him, used to such matters. Donna stopped, too, after a few more steps, her head craned back. "Can you hear that?" he asked them. Jay cocked a brow; Donna stared blankly at him. "Take your hood down, Donna," he said, lifting his voice and motioning her to do it. She did, and he repeated, "That noise. Do you hear it?"

"What?" Donna said, frowning. "Do we hear what?"

"We don't hear anything," Jay agreed, shifting her weight. She didn't doubt that he heard something, though, and knew it wasn't a normal sound he heard. She touched the gem that rested at her throat, wondering if that was the reason she couldn't hear. Jay caught the Doctor's eye, and the look on his face had her dropping her hand.

Whatever he was hearing...he didn't think she should be hearing it, and if it was that bad, she was content to remain deaf to whatever song he heard.

So, instead of listening as the Doctor did, tipping his head, Jay spun in a slow circle, looking. A flicker of movement in the corner of her eye had her snapping her head around. She saw something collapse, and was immediately bolting in that direction.

"Jay!" Donna cried in surprise, blinking and looking to the Doctor for guidance. He whirled around, the trench coat he wore swirling around his knees. His eyes widened as he saw their friend plowing her way through snow, her hood falling from her shoulders.

"Jay!" he shouted after her. She ignored him, lurching up a snowy hill. " _Jayden_!"

"There's something up here!" her faint voice called back, a gust of wind blowing it past their ears. Snow swirled in the air and then she'd vanished, cresting the hill and sliding down the other side.

Irritated, the Doctor took off at a jog after her. "C'mon, Donna!" he called. He thought the song just trickling through his mind was very similar to the songs she'd described to him, and he didn't like that it seemed louder in the direction she'd run. The song was one that filled his mind with agony and pain, and he was determined to make sure that his seemingly telepathic friend kept her new accessory on.

He had to pause to help Donna when she nearly slipped, his hand snagging her arm gently, and when they reached the top of the hill, he stopped to look around hastily for Jay. He was relieved to find that she'd not gone far. She was on her knees, bent over a still form at the bottom of the hill he stood. The Doctor, worried, slid down the hill after her with Donna and finally, both panting softly, reached her.

"Jayden," the Doctor seethed, "what have I told you about-"

Jay cut him off wordlessly, looking up. Her eyes were wide as she gestured frantically to the body she sat in the snow beside. "It's alive," she said, ignoring his anger. She knew he'd forget it. He always did when there were people in trouble.

Donna gasped at the sight of the alien. It was rather odd looking, with tentacles on its face and a bald head. Slanted eyes were shut, its chest shuddering with each weak breath. An abandoned orb was attached to its face, lying in the snow beside its head. "What is it?" she said anxiously as the Doctor slowly knelt beside them, digging in his pocket. He withdrew a stethoscope. Donna just briefly wondered where it had come from.

"An Ood," said the Doctor, remembering the last time he'd seen them - when he'd still had Rose and they'd been trapped on a planet that orbited a black hole. In which a creature he hesitated to think of had said that she would die. He knew now that it wasn't what had happened, but still. He didn't like it. His jaw worked as he hovered, unsure of where to begin. "He's called an Ood."

"It's face," breathed Donna and the Doctor cast her a sharp look.

"Not now." He pressed the stethoscope over its chest. He had to look for a heart somewhere. "Jay, Donna, give me a hand. Talk to him. Keep him going."

Jay nodded and shifted, leaning over the Ood with a gentle smile. "Come on, Donna," she said, and Donna crouched beside her, leaning over him. Jay smiled gently at the Ood, fearlessly touching the Ood's face and stroking it comfortingly. "It's all okay, we've got you."

Donna bit her lip, not daring to touch the alien. She'd seen them before, but there was something about the Ood that made her nervous. "What's your name?" she said.

The Ood surprised them all with a response. The Doctor paused to listen when he answered rather weakly, "Designated Ood Delta Fifty." With each word, the orb beside his head flashed with light. The voice was rather mechanical, Jay thought, though she didn't mind.

A slight smile appeared on her face when Donna took that orb into her hand, determined to help even if it wasn't what the Doctor thought necessary. "My name's Donna, and this is Jay-"

Not looking up from what he was doing, the Doctor reached over and pushed her hands down until the orb fell back into the snow. "You don't need to speak into it," the Doctor said quietly, rocking back and angrily ruffling his hair. He wasn't sure what to do. He could see blood pooling from a gunshot wound, and he had nothing in his arsenal that would help with that.

"Sorry," said Donna, looking a little embarrassed and flustered.

Jay squeezed her hand and then leaned in a little to whisper to Delta 50, "The Doctor will help you. He always helps people." She glanced at the Doctor from beneath tear-lined lashes. The Doctor felt horrible when he realized she was waiting for her to do something. Slowly, he put away his stethoscope, avoiding her gaze as he touched the Ood's shoulder. There was nothing he could do here.

"You've been shot," he said, just to clarify _why_ he couldn't do anything. He'd tried; he didn't have anything to help with this. And even if he did, they would have been too late. The Ood's blood seeped into the snow surrounding them.

Delta 50 slurred something, and not for the first time, Jay missed Martha. Martha would have been able to help here. Donna shushed him, trying to soothe him with tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite her initial disgust, she felt terrible for the creature's pain. But Delta 50 spoke anyways. "The circle must be broken," it croaked.

"Circle?" the Doctor echoed, glancing around curiously. "What do you mean? Delta Fifty, what circle?" The Ood didn't move, and he got a sinking feeling he wouldn't receive an answer. Still, he repeated his question. "Delta Fifty, what-"

Delta 50 suddenly lurched upright with a scream-like roar, eyes a seething red. Jay squealed and went sprawling back in her desire to get away, dragging Donna back with her. The Doctor lurched to his feet, taking a step back himself. But then the Ood had collapsed again, eyes staring blankly at the sky - entirely normal.

"What was that?" Jay said, shaken.

Fearlessly, Donna crawled back over to Delta 50's side. The Doctor watched every movement cautiously, worried, and even warned her. Donna payed him no mind, merely stroked Delta 50's head soothingly. "There you are, sweetheart," she murmured, closing his eyes for him. Her voice quivered as she said, "We were too late...what do we do, Doctor? Do we bury him?"

The Doctor pressed his lips together as Jay heaved herself to her feet, pushing her hair from her eyes. Anger simmered in her eyes, and he made a mental note to keep an eye on her before she tried to punch someone again. "The snow will take care of that."

"The Ood...what are they?" she murmured, looking at him with a frown. Jay shifted, pushing her hands into her pockets. "You've met them before, haven't you?"

He inclined his head, copying her motion as he rocked back on his heels. He scanned their surroundings. "The Ood are servants of humans in the forty-second century. They're mildly telepathic. The song...it was his mind calling out." He met Jay's gaze and held it. "The last time I met them, there was a force, like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over. Do you have that anti-telepathic stone I gave you?"

"Yes," she said immediately. She dug it out of her coat and held it up for him to see. It trembled in her hands.

"Don't take it off." She heard things so easily...he didn't want to risk his friend being subjected to whatever force tried to take over the Ood again if it even did happen. "Come on." He briskly started forward. "I has to be something different this time, something closer to home," he said as they moved.

"Trouble?" Donna asked, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

The Doctor responded with a curt nod and a grim look. "Trouble," he agreed, and pushed forwards.

* * *

It took a short amount of time to find the facilities that the Ood had come from and when they finally did, they nearly missed a group of people that were being guided in. The Doctor did a quick small headcount to make sure both Donna and Jay were present before breaking into a hasty run, eager to catch up and get into the facilities without hesitation. They were all panting by the time they reached the startled woman who turned to greet them upon hearing their feet pounding on the ground.

"Sorry!" the Doctor said,repeating the word a few times extra to show his sincerest apologies. "Late. Don't mind us. Hello! The guards let us through." Not entirely true; the trio had slipped through when the guards weren't looking. Oh, well, he supposed that the woman wouldn't follow through with the lie; people rarely did.

"And you would be…?" prompted the woman impatiently.

The Doctor fished his psychic paper out of his pocket and flashed it at her. "I'm the Doctor, and this is Donna Noble and Jay O'Connors, representing the-"

She cut him off, perking up. "O'Connors?" She immediately looked between the two women, trying to pick out which one was which. Jay cleared her throat reluctantly, uncertain of where this was going, and the woman beamed at her. "An honor to have a member of such a well-known family at our small get together. You must have fallen off my list, my apologies, miss. It won't happen again. Now then," she turned back to the Doctor, although her eyes lingered on Jay, eyes glimmering, "if you'd like to come with me, Dr. Noble, Mrs. Noble, Miss O'Connors-"

"Oh," the Doctor cut in immediately, "we're not married."

"So not married," agreed Donna, making a face of disgust that made Jay grin.

The woman blinked briefly confused. "Dr. O'Connors, then, I presume?"

Jay lost her grin and turned scarlet while the Doctor groaned in frustration. Donna, smirking now, shook her head and said, "Just the Doctor." She smiled firmly, but politely. "Can we move on?" She didn't like when people got caught up in assuming such matters. It was embarrassing.

"Of course." She turned and started leading them after the others that had walked off. Jay was uncomfortable when she realized that she was mostly addressing her rather than the two with her. "Here are your information packs, vouchers inside," she said, handing over one to each of them. The Doctor immediately began shuffling through his. Donna tossed hers as soon as the woman had turned around. Jay merely tucked hers professionally under her arm. Perhaps it would come in use later, she thought.

They'd just rejoined the small, but decent-sized group of humans when a sound filled the air. They all paused at the wailing sound, and Jay lifted her gaze curiously to the sky. "An alarm?" she guessed, glancing at Donna, who shrugged.

"Sounds like it," agreed the Doctor.

The woman soothed the confused group with a fearless smile. "Just a siren," she said smoothly. "For the end of the work shift. This way, quick as you can!" She tossed her dark hair over her shoulder and ushered them all through a small, fenced off court yard and into a building. Donna breathed a happy sigh of relief when they were greeted by warmth.

"Now this," she said with a hum, " _this_ is more like it."

The Doctor chuckled as they were herded into a rather nice room. That smile that had appeared on his face disappeared at the sight of it. It was large, with a massive screen displaying a video ready to be played and a series of pedestals that held a different Ood each. The Doctor listened to that song of agony that left their heads, filling the air and completely unknown to the humans around them. His jaw tightened as he studied them.

A hand slipped into his and squeezed. Jay didn't look at him, but he could tell she thought the same, even without hearing their songs. Just seeing other life forms displayed in such a way was infuriating. He knew her own anger came from their time on the _Valiant._ He wondered if there would ever be a day that the time aboard that ship wouldn't hurt any of them.

Not seeming to care or take notice, the woman who'd greeted them beamed around at the group and said, "Hello! My name is Solana, and I'll take you through this event today!" She shuffled a few papers, and then waved to the screen, which began to show a series of images as she spoke. "As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve, and we keep them in facilities of the highest standard. Here at the Double O - that's Ood Operations - we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends."

"Like hell," said Jay under her breath. Donna nodded her agreement.

"We don't just breed the Ood," continued Solana. "We make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood but a reflection of us? If your Ood is happy, then you'll be happy, too." THey watched in silence as Solana swept towards the platforms displaying the Ood. "I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations," she said, stopping before one. "We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting…" She smiled at the Ood and asked, "How are you today, Ood?"

The Ood made an elegant motion and Jay flinched when it said politely, "I'm perfectly well, thank you."

Solana inclined her head in approval, and then moved to the next Ood. "Or, perhaps, after a stressful day, a little something for you gentlemen. And how are you, Ood?"

"All the better for seeing you," replied the second Ood in a fairly seductive feminine voice. It made Donna cringe, and the Doctor made a face. He'd much rather come home to a nice cup of tea. Not...that. Definitely not that.

Solana gave a few more examples with the Ood on display and then finished up, smiling around at them all. "All that, for only five additional credits. The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so...don't hold back!"

Donna looked disgusted. "They're beings," she said under her breath, "actual living beings and they're treating them like...like things!"

The Doctor gave her an approving look, waiting for people to disperse a bit more so he could go and look at the technology without drawing attention to himself. He liked Donna for this very reason. Jay, too, looked disgusted with what was happening around them - by the way the people didn't give a damn about the Ood that merely stood there, as if on sale. He rocked back a little bit on his heels.

As he'd once told Rose...he only took the best with him.

Finally deeming it safe, the Doctor nudged both of them forward. "Come on," he said under his breath, and they followed him over to a panel of buttons and controls. A few tried to stop them, eyes locked eagerly on Jay, but she politely refused them, grimacing. Jay swept her gaze curiously over it, ignoring a voice that tried to get her attention again. It was all pointless, she wanted to tell them. The O'Connors of this time might still be powerful and wealthy, but she wasn't from their family. She was from an older generation...and how the company had even continued after the reveal of what Marcus O'Connors was truly like was impressive enough.

The Doctor fidgeted with a few controls, hiding his sonic screwdriver as he used it to get what he wanted. Finally, the image changed and displayed a massive solar system upon the screen. Jay studied it, not recognizing any of what she saw. "Where are we?"

"The Ood-Sphere," said the Doctor with a curt nod, unsurprised. "I've been here, to this solar system before. Years ago...ages! Close to the planet Sense-Sphere. Let's see…" He zoomed out the screen so that it showed more and nodded again in confidence. "Ah, there we are. The year four-thousand-one-hundred-twenty-six. That's the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."

Donna smiled, bouncing a little in excitement, and then said eagerly, "What's the Earth like now, Doctor?"

"Bit full," he admitted. "But, you see, the Empire stretches out across three galaxies. What do you think?"

"It's weird," she admitted, glancing at Jay for her opinion. Jay shrugged, having enjoyed other times and places as well. It wasn't that she wasn't excited at all; only that this wasn't looking to be her favorite place to visit. "I mean, brilliant, but...back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got to live. Global warming. Flooding...the disappearing bees." The Doctor agreed with a snort that the matter was odd. "But look at us!" She flung her arms wide, beaming at the humans in the room. "We're everywhere! Is that good or bad, though?" Her smile faded as she glanced at the Ood. "Are we explorers? Or like a virus?"

Jay squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, admitting to herself that it seemed more often like the second choice than the first. The image shifted. It was the same display of galaxies, but held many, _many_ red dots. "Doctor," she said, pointing. "What are those?"

He leaned forward, dark eyes scanning the screen expertly. "Ood distribution centers," he said quietly, unhappy about this.

"Across three galaxies?" she said, glancing over her shoulder at the Ood still on display.

"Don't...don't the Ood get a say in this?" Donna bit her lip. She took a deep breath and then turned and made her way over to the Ood. Jay followed her, not willing to let her go too far. She huffed when someone else tried to stop her and drag her into conversation, and the Doctor was quick to intervene. He planted a hand on her shoulder and cut through the attempted conversation with ease. Jay threw him a grateful look and they caught up in time to see Donna touch an Ood's shoulder.

"Um, sorry, but...tell me, are you all like this?"

The Ood blinked at her blankly. "I do not understand, Miss."

"What I mean is, are there any free Ood?" Donna tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear, flustered. "Are there Ood running wild somewhere? Like wildebeest?"

The Doctor furrowed his brow when the Ood answered, "All Ood are born to serve. Otherwise, we would die." The Ood had answered similarly when he'd been with Rose..he had wondered if that was entirely true then. His disbelief was only further enforced now.

"But you can't have started like that," argued Jay, stepping closer to Donna. Donna gestured to her in agreement. "What were you like before we humans got involved?"

The Ood blinked and then spoke. "The circle," it said, and the Doctor's gaze snapped to its face. "The circle...the circle...is…"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" cried Solana suddenly, waving to catch all of their attention. The Doctor immediately glared at her, wanting nothing more than to figure out what was being meant by "the circle." People liked to interrupt important moments. "All Ood to hospitality stations, please!"

"I think," the Doctor said, lowering his mouth near Jay's ear, "that I've had enough of the schmoozing. What do you think, Jay? Care for going off the beaten track?"

"Please," Jay whimpered when another person smiled at her brightly. She didn't know the state of the O'Connors empire at the moment, but she assumed it was in fantastic condition if all of these people kept trying to snuggle up to her. He offered his arm, and she gratefully took it. He did the same to Donna, but she gave him a rather dirty look.

"Let's go rough guide the Ood-Sphere!" she said excitedly, smile returning a moment later. They moved away from the Ood, who'd gone to do as they were told, slowly making their way to a pair of doors. When no one was looking, Jay, Donna, and the Doctor ducked through. Jay released the Doctor's arm when they had slipped outside.

"Brr!" gasped Donna, drawing her hood back over her head. "It's so _cold_ here...how are the Ood okay with this cold?"

"S'a good question," Jay said, shaking her dead and tucking her hands into her pockets after shaking them out. The Doctor cast the action a quick glance, taking note of it, and then focused on keeping an eye out for people as they wandered along a fence, following it to see where it lead. "I hope they have heating somewhere."

"Doubt it...this lot doesn't seem too concerned about the care of the Ood," said the Doctor quietly, not at all happy to be saying such a thing. He ruffled his hair thoughtfully with a hand as they rounded a corner and came across a gate. "Ah, here we are," he said, shuffling around in a pocket until he'd found his sonic screwdriver. He used his body to block the view of what he was doing after looking around to make sure no one was around. There was a soft buzzing followed by a spark as the lock opened.

"Ready?" he said, holding the gate open. Donna and Jay hurried through and paused to let the Doctor close the gate behind them. He took the lead, heading alongside a building that was nearby. Jay drew her dark hood over her head to help hide her bright hair, easily seen with sunlight shining down on them.

 _"Ood shift eight now commencing!"_ declared a voice over a loudspeaker, making all three jump. Donna put a hand over her racing heart, but still hid with her friends behind the building when the sounds of footsteps crossing the courtyard were heard. They peered around the metallic corner with interest as Ood appeared. _"Repeat: Ood shift eight now commencing!"_

"Oh, my God," breathed Jay in horror. They looked like a troop of soldiers marching off to war, as if they belonged in the movies she and Donna had watched. She swallowed thickly. Donna merely gasped, lips pressing together angrily when one fell and a man cracked a whip over its head until the Ood had staggered to its feet and rejoined the small group.

"Get up!" shouted the man with the whip, cracking it again. "March!"

The Doctor swallowed thickly, feeling horrible. "The last time I met the Ood," he said softly, voice hoarse. "I never though...I never asked. Where they came from. I just...I was busy, so busy I couldn't save them. I had to let the Ood die."

Jay gripped his hand tightly, so tightly that the tingles in her fingers sharpened to a bite. "We'll help them then, right?" she said, glancing at him. "To make up for it."

"We'll see what we can do," the Doctor agreed, squeezing back. He tugged her forward, heading past another building. "Let's keep out of the way, okay? Come on." Donna followed them closely, and the Doctor said when he was sure they were safe, "Do either of you still have that pamphlet?"

Jay, who'd shoved it into her pocket, immediately handed it over, and the Doctor released her hand to take it. He spread it out as they strode forward, studying it without looking. Jay shifted a grip to his arm, carefully steering him around anything that might trip him or that he might run into. Donna kept an eye out for other people as they walked. It was only when they found a door that Donna suddenly gave a shrill whistle, making he and Jay jump.

The Doctor stared at her in alarm. "Blimey," he said, tucking the map into his pocket. "Where'd you learn to whistle?"

"West Ham," she said, "every Saturday. Look." She pointed to a door that he and Jay and missed and the Doctor beamed, giving her an approving look as he withdrew his sonic screwdriver again. She shifted aside to give him room to work. Jay took over watching for people as he pressed the button of his sonic screwdriver, unlocking the door. He slid it open and frowned at the sight of massive containers that were held within the hangar. A massive claw moved about, latching onto one container and lifting it high into the air.

"Ood export," said the Doctor with a scowl. "Do you see?" He leaned into Donna, gesturing with his hands. "Lifts up the containers, takes them to the rocket sheds, ready to be flown out. All over the three galaxies."

Jay's heart twisted in horror as Donna whispered, "You mean these containers are full of…? The Doctor said nothing, only waved them onwards. He didn't hesitate to pry the door of a container open, grunting with the effort. He pushed it open to show them what was held inside and Jay bit her lip, saddened by the side of many, many Ood standing motionless within.

Donna covered her nose, wrinkling it. "It stinks," she muttered. "How many of them do you think there are in each one?"

"Hundred?" he said, doing a quick check over. "More?"

"More," Jay said hoarsely, shaking her head in disgust.

"A great big empire," Donna said bitterly, looking away with tears brimming in her eyes. "Built on slavery." The Doctor made a comment that it wasn't so different from her time - or from Jay's for that matter - and Donna bristled. "Oi! I haven't got slaves!"

The Doctor, apparently in a somewhat bad mood now, said pointedly, "Who do you think made your clothes?"

Donna rounded on him, her eyes blazing with fury. "Is that why you travel 'round with humans at your side?" she snarled, catching the Doctor off guard. Even Jay jumped, though the words weren't directed at her. "It's not so that you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots at us?"

Taken aback, the Doctor blinked and then said sheepishly, "Sorry." His voice was quiet, his dark eyes regretful.

"You don't get to say things like that, Spaceman," she said. "You just _don't_." She cast a quick look over at Jay when she said nothing, her eyes darting between the two uncertainly. She didn't want anything to do with the argument, nor did she know which side she'd take if she did. Because while she was technically human...there was a bit extra now. Jay wasn't entirely sure she was completely human now, with that poison in her veins.

Still huffing, Donna said to the first Ood she rested her eyes on, "I don't understand. The door is open. Why don't you just run away?"

The Ood blinked once at her, as if surprised over being addressed. Donna waited patiently until it answered, tilting its head slightly in confusion. "For what reason?" When Donna suggested freedom, it said, "I do not understand the concept."

Donna looked fairly upset by that, so Jay decided to change the subject. She stepped up to the Ood so she wasn't far from it and said softly, "Tell us...what is 'the circle?'" The Doctor straightened, interested in what the answer would be. Maybe they'd finally get an answer to the question they'd been asking for some time now.

Jay jumped when, in unison, every Ood within the shipping container said, "The circle must be broken."

The Doctor pushed forward as Donna hissed about how creepy it was. Sweeping Jay back, just to be safe if the Ood went rogue like the one they'd found did, he pushed the demand. "What is it though? What is the circle?"

"The circle must be broken," they repeated.

The Doctor opened his mouth to ask what they'd meant once more, and Jay decided to take a different route. If they weren't getting anywhere in figuring out _what_ it was...then perhaps they could figure out _why_. So, she asked precisely that. "Why does the circle need to be broken?"

She felt a small thrill of triumph when they answered, "So that we can sing."

The Doctor furrowed his brow and thought of the song that he could hear echoing in his head, but before he could ask, an alarm sounded. The three intruders froze, looking upwards. And then the Doctor was pushing Donna and Jay out. "That's us, come on!"

He took off at a sprint the second they were out. Jay hurled her body around a sharp corner to keep up with him as his long stride carried him farther than she and Donna could keep up with. Donna suddenly faltered, noticing a door. "Doctor, Jay!" she shouted, gesturing to her right. "There's a door-"

Jay skidded to a stop, immediately assuming the Doctor would as well. "Donna, get away from it!" she cried when she realized that the door was opening, guards ready to spill through. She heard footsteps flooding the area. Within moments, Donna was surrounded. Jay swore under her breath and turned and ran, making a mental note of where she'd lost Donna. The Doctor was long gone, she realized after a moment, swearing again.

"Damn it," she grumbled, ducking behind a container and watching a few guards run past. Somewhere further into the warehouse, she heard the Doctor shouting for them, demanding to know where they'd gone.

Silence fell and Jay bit her lip, not feeling safe at all. She peeked around the corner after a short while, and then edged out, swallowing thickly when a sound filled the air. She began to hesitantly follow it. The Doctor couldn't have gone too far, right?

A sudden shout filled the air and then the sound grew louder before fading. Jay cranked her head back, looking, and saw the massive claw used to transport shipping containers racing around. Swallowing thickly, she decided to get out of the area before it came after her. Worried about her friends, Jay retreated towards the edge of the warehouse, hoping that she'd not be caught in the process.

"Stop!" a voice suddenly shouted and Jay bolted, feeling very much like the deer she'd read about in books. She sprinted down a corridor, gasping for air as she went and shaking out her annoyingly pained fingers. At least it wasn't higher for the time being, she told herself, whipping around a storage container and doubling back a little to try and get away.

Silence fell again and Jay took a deep breath to steady herself. She needed to get out of the building, she told herself, and figure out where Donna and the Doctor had gone. It wouldn't take long; she'd just need to find the highest amount of guards and wait to see how the Doctor escaped. He was fairly good at that - escaping, anyways.

She carefully followed the sounds of commotion until she'd found her companions still within the warehouse. She carefully peered around a corner and found the Doctor arm in arm with a pair of guards who were dragging him along. Donna was nowhere to be seen and the Doctor was trying to argue and explain his way out of the situation as normal. Jay did a quick once-over and then glanced over when she heard slamming and shouting from a nearby container. _There's Donna_ , she couldn't help but think with a brief smile.

"Doctor!" Donna's muffled voice bellowed in a tone that promised violence. "Get me out! Hey, get me out of here!" Jay heard a bam that told her Donna had banged a fist on the metal.

The Doctor warned the guards around him, "If you don't do what she says, then you're really in trouble. Not from me," he added hastily when they all eyed him suspiciously, "from her." He craned his head around, looking, and Jay scowled when she had to hide before she could catch his eye, as a guard had looked in her direction.

Donna was released from the container and she fled to the Doctor, crying out in relief. "Doctor!" She threw her arms around him, relieved, and the Doctor beamed down at her.

"There we go, safe and sound," he said happily, hugging her back for a moment before nudging her back. "Now, where's-"

"Sir!" a guard interrupted in a shout, gesturing, and the Doctor snapped his gaze over. Jay peeked around, too, to see, and blinked when she saw Ood - all one hundred plus Ood with red eyes - suddenly bolting from the container, snarling and furious. The guard that had shouted was downed almost immediately by electrocution when an Ood placed its orb against his head. Several others went down in a similar way.

"Red alert!" cried a man who looked to be in charge. "Fire!"

A crash behind her had Jay whirling around as the man added, "Shoot to kill!" Dozens of Ood were spilling from containers around her and Jay flinched in fear when gunshots flooded her ears. Chaos erupted and Jay, figuring she had no better way of doing it, dove around an Ood that went for her. "Doctor!" she shrieked, losing sight of he and Donna in the chaos. " _Doctor_! _Donna_!"

Both had vanished, however, and Jay swallowed thickly, spinning out of the path of a second Ood and a guard that went off on one another. She careened into a metal wall and took off running, following it. If she did so, she'd find a door, she knew.

It was terrifying, being stuck in a warehouse with wild Ood and men with guns fighting. Dozens upon dozens of containers had opened, and Ood were spilling out everywhere she went. She followed the wall for what seemed like ages before finally ramming into a door. She threw it open, ignoring an alarm that went off, and burst into the snowy outside world, slamming the door shut behind her. It shook when an Ood struck it, trying to follow, but locked behind her.

Heaving for air, Jay lifted her chin and looked around, not recognizing where she was. "Damn it!" she seethed. She raked a hand through her blonde hair in desperation. "That idiot...he just vanished into thin air…"

Alarms continued to fill the air as the situation grew worse. Jay didn't dare try yelling for her friends. She started to follow a wall again and then stopped, not knowing which way would get her to her friends sooner. She touched the TARDIS key at her throat for comfort, and then paused, fingering the stone that she found.

Donna always emanated the song she'd had when she'd first found them. Jay had been very aware of it from the moment they'd started traveling with her. The Doctor hadn't had any answers and had tucked the information away for later, when it became relevant, rather than dwelling on it. But Jay knew it was there - had heard it.

So, with hesitance, knowing the Doctor wouldn't like it if he found out, Jay lifted the key and stone over her head and dropped into a crouch, hiding in the shadows of the building's walls. She fingered it for a few moments and then gently placed it in the snow. The instant her fingers left the beautiful opal-like stone, she heard it.

Had she not been crouched, she knew her knees would have buckled. A shaking hand pressed over her mouth as she heard the song that the Doctor had mentioned hearing earlier that day. She had no description for the pain and agony that flooded her very soul, and tears boiled over within seconds. It took some time to recover enough of her sanity to locate what she thought might be the direction of the source. The Doctor, if he heard this, would head there, she was sure.

"There," she croaked, snatching up her gem. She threw it and her TARDIS key back around her neck and then took off running, hands still shaking violently. She couldn't erase the sound of that song from her mind, even as she hid it away. And, she realized, the Doctor had been listening to it consistently, unable to escape it from the moment they'd arrived in the area.

* * *

Jay found herself standing before another building a few minutes later. She heaved for air, breath rasping near painfully in her throat. She caught her breath just barely before she tried to open the door. "Doctor," she seethed when it didn't open. She knocked hopefully. "Doctor!" She risked the shout. "Come _on_!" When nothing came of it, she snarled, "What's the point of you, you good for nothing-"

The door suddenly flew open and the Doctor blinked in surprise at the ruffled Jay that stood before him. "Jay!" he said, relieved despite the sadness he felt. Donna made a relieved sound inside, and he stepped aside to let her, locking the door behind them with the sonic screwdriver. The second he was finished, Jay threw her arms around his neck, a broken sound leaving her mouth.

"I listened," she said hoarsely. "I thought I'd listen for Donna, but all I could hear was their song, and-"

He hugged her tightly in response, worried. There'd been a reason he'd not wanted her to hear the song, and he was fairly unhappy that she'd chosen to listen anyways. Not that he could blame her; she'd used it as a method of finding them, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing - when there weren't Ood singing such a sad song around. He felt even worse when she tightened her arms around him and said faintly, "You've heard it all this time, haven't you? Since we got here?" When he didn't answer, she said, "You could borrow it. The stone. Even if it's just for a few minutes."

"No," he said firmly. He'd not do that. "I'm used to this kind of thing, Jay. I'll be fine." His words only broke her heart further, and the Doctor kissed her head fondly. He looked back when Donna spoke.

Donna, her own face streaked from tears upon having listened to the song of the captive Ood, said softly, "Come here, sweetheart, we were trying to figure out what's going on."

Sniffling and wiping tears from her eyes, Jay pulled away from the Doctor and went to join Donna. She wrapped an arm around her, soothing as best as she could. The Doctor rejoined his newest companion and crouched beside the two women, his elbows on his knees as he studied the small group of Ood who tried to scoot away from him, eager to get as far as possible after watching the two enter the cage to join Donna.

A thud came from the door, followed by a series of others. "They're breaking in," Jay said, voice shaking.

"Let them," the Doctor said irritably, furious with the group that had done this.

The Ood peered at them as he offered them a gentle smile, behavior shifting immediately. "What are you holding?" he prompted softly. "Could you show me? Look. Friend. Doctor Donna. Jay. Friend. Let me see." One of the Ood hesitated before creeping close, trusting this odd person who'd invaded their prison. Donna whispered what they'd found thus far upon entering the building to Jay, who looked suddenly incredibly angry and sad with what was happening. "That's it," coaxed the Doctor, ignoring them. "Go on…"

The Ood, who'd been cradling some hidden object to its chest, extended its hands and opened them to show the Doctor the small brain held between them. Jay blinked, caught off guard, and Donna gave a small gasp beside them.

The Doctor was immediately furious. "It's a brain," he said quietly. "A hindbrain. They're born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions. If you were to get rid of your own, you wouldn't be Donna or Jay anymore. You'd be like an Ood, a processed Ood."

"The company cuts off their brains," Jay said, her voice quivering with anger now. She found herself just as angry as she'd been with Rickston on the _Titanic_. "And then they stitch on a translator and sell them like...like cattle."

Donna gave a soft sound of despair and looked mournfully to the angry Time Lord. "I thought...I spent all of that time looking for you, Doctor, because I thought it would be so wonderful out here...but _this_ …"

"It's not always this, Donna," said Jay, glancing at her. "You've seen what else there is. Sometimes it's nice…"

Donna merely shook her head and whispered, "I want to go home."

* * *

It didn't take long for the guards and the man in charge - someone named Halpen, who kept an Ood at his side - to break in. The trio, consisting of a silently furious Doctor, a miserable Donna, and a still sniffling Jay, were taken to a large building to be interrogated. Jay was grateful when Donna took her hand for comfort, needing it just as much as Donna did. Jay eyed the Doctor as they walked, worried. There was something in his expression...she didn't know for certain, but she felt as if his usual offers of mercy wouldn't be offered this time.

"Why don't you just come out and say it?" snapped Halpen, scowling as he waved for the security to do as he ordered them. Jay winced as her hands were handcuffed tightly behind her, spikes of pain shooting through her fingers. "Foto activists!"

"If that's what friends of the Ood are trying to prove," said the Doctor darkly, his gaze cold as he stared Halpen down, "then yes."

"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice." Halpen didn't look the least bit concerned about them, and Jay scowled at him, disliking him quite a bit. When the Doctor shook his head in disbelief, Halpen argued, "They welcomed it! It's not as if they put up a fight."

"You're an idiot," Jay breathed, staring at him with wide eyes. "They...they hold their brains in their hands from the day that they're born. They are a peaceful species. What else could they be, with something like that?" She could feel her body trembling again. Anger flooded her. This was almost like the Master aboard the _Valiant_ \- except in a different way and on a mass scale.

"The system's worked for two hundred years. All we've got is a rogue batch." Waving them off, Halpen turned away, fiddling with his watch. "But the infection is about to be sterilized." He lifted the watch to his mouth and spoke through it, narrowing his eyes. "Mr. Kress? How do we stand?"

Something in Jay's chest dropped when a voice came over the watch, just faintly heard by those present. _"Canisters primed, sir. As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it two hundred marks and counting."_

Donna looked outraged. "You're going to _gas_ them?" she shouted, bristling.

"Kill the livestock," said Halpen, running a hand over his balding head with a frown of worry. "The classic foot-and-mouth solution from the olden days. Still works." An alarm suddenly going off had him pausing and looking around. "What the hell?" he muttered. He took a moment to debate and then left, waving for someone to go with him. A frowning middle-aged men accompanied him.

When they were gone, the Doctor glanced at Jay and Donna, doing a quick sweep over them. Something in the song had changed, although he couldn't put his finger on it. And he was confident that they needed to be ready to run despite being chained to piping at the moment. Leaning in, he demanded, "Jay." She glanced at him with an entirely trusting face that made him smile brightly despite the situation. "Any risks?"

She looked at him in confusion until understanding lit her features. "No," she said, wiggling her fingers behind her back. She smiled back, unsure of why he was asking. "No risks. It's only up from my fingers, no further." Her toes would join in soon, but she could deal with both of those. She had some time since they'd spent a fair amount of time relaxing in recent weeks.

Donna glanced curiously at Jay, studying her. They'd only recently explained in detail what was going on with Jay's odd "illness" and she still didn't fully understand, although she was doing her best. Before she could say anything, however, Halpen came back with the man that had gone with him. The man, who Halpen addressed as Dr. Ryder, was mid-sentence as they approached. "-off-world, sir. It's still contained to Ood-Sphere."

"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads," said Halpen grimly, grimacing. He straightened his suit and then turned to face the waiting Doctor. "Everything you wanted to happen is happening, Doctor. No doubt about it. There'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilized. I can't risk a bullet to the head." Something on the man's face had the Doctor narrowing his eyes in suspicion before he'd even finished speaking. "I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood."

"But Mr. Halpen," said the Doctor, trying to urge Halpen to let them go before he vanished off to who knew where. He could feel that something was off the man and though he doubted he'd be capable of figuring it out, he moved on. He needed to get to the matter of things quickly - before Halpen was gone. "There's something else, isn't there? Something we've not yet seen."

"Doctor," said Donna in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hindbrain," said the Doctor, shaking his head, "they'd be at war with themselves. There's got to be something else...a third element, am I right?"

Jay, eyes darting back and forth between them, said, "Wait. Would it be connected to what's happening to the Ood?"

"That's what I'd think," he agreed, and Halpen scoffed in response.

"'It' won't exist for much longer. Enjoy your Ood." He turned and left, flanked by Dr. Ryder, his Ood, and the guards, leaving the trio to stand there alone, chained to poles and at the mercy of any Ood that managed to find them.

"Ow!" snapped Donna when the Doctor jostled and accidentally tweaked her finger in between the cuffs. "Watch it, spaceman! And do something! You're the one with all of the tricks...haven't you met Houdini or something?"

"Not yet, been thinking about it," he muttered, fiddling more carefully with the cuffs. "These are really good handcuffs...Donna, Jay, can either of you reach my sonic?" Both women shook their heads after giving it a good try. Jay bit her lip as she curled her hands into fists and tried to free them, to slip them between the metal.

"Ah!" she suddenly gasped when pain shot through her wrist. She ignored the pain when her hand slid free. She grinned in triumph. "Doctor, where is it? Where's your sonic?"

"Inside pocket," he told her hastily and Jay carefully fished it out of where he'd indicated, holding the device carefully in her fingers. She'd dropped it once before in a situation similar to this and while she trusted the Doctor to get them out, she didn't want to deal with the wrath of one angry Donna Noble for doing so. He guided her through achieving what setting she needed to find, and she listened intently, doing as she was told with care until finally, she'd freed her other hand.

"Good!" praised the Doctor, pleased. He made a mental note to teach both Donna and Jay a few basic settings when this was all done and over with and they were safely back in the TARDIS. "Now do Donna. I'll go last."

"Okay." Jay slid around him, awkwardly craning her arms to get to the cuffs, and then froze when she heard a door slide open and felt Donna jolt in terror. She snapped her head around, her golden hair flying around her cheeks. "Oh, God," she whispered, terrified when she saw the three Ood that entered, their eyes a malicious red. "Doctor-" she began, and he cut her off, lifting his voice frantically to the Ood.

"Doctor, Donna, Jay, friends," he said hastily as Donna said, "The circle must be broken." They repeated these phrases in terror, their voices rising as the Ood grew closer and closer, stretching their translators towards them with the intent of electrocuting them. The Doctor frantically yanked at his cuffs.

Rather than joining them in making noise, Jay focused on trying to get them free. One of Donna's hands came free and she moved onto her other, hurrying as quickly as she could until her friends stopped shouting. She spared a look at Donna's face, saw her confusion, and looked back in time to see the Ood with their heads bowed, hands pressed to their heads. After a moment, one looked up, the red gone from its eyes, and said peacefully, "Doctor. Donna. Jay. Friends."

"Oh, thank God," breathed Jay as Donna's other hand came free and the other two screamed and shouted in delight, grinning at one another and at Jay proudly. Donna rubbed her wrists with a wince as soon as she was free, and the Doctor held still as Jay focused her attention on him. For some reason, she found herself struggling to unlock his cuffs, but after a few minutes, she'd succeeded.

"Done!" declared Jay as he shook his hands free and beamed at her in silent praise. She quickly handed his sonic screwdriver back, and he turned that smile on the Ood.

"We'll do what we can for you," he promised. "Donna, Jay, let's go!" He took off at a run for the doors, just as he always did. Jay and Donna exchanged a look; Donna looked annoyed with the amount of running they were doing that day, but said nothing as she took off after him, rushing to catch up. Jay paused to smile faintly at the Ood that blinked gently at her and then went to run after them.

The Doctor made sure they were both present, keeping an eye on them as they emerged into a warzone. Dead humans and Ood alike lay strewn out on the ground in a variety of locations. Gunshots filled the air along with screaming and shouting and snarling. It all made Donna wince in horror.

The Doctor came to a very quick realization. They needed to find that third source, that third element - and he had no idea about where to begin. He ruffled his hair with both hands as if it would help him think, and then said desperately, "I don't know where it is! I don't know where they've gone!" He whirled on Jay. "Did you hear anything else? Anything extra?"

"No," she said, grimacing in apology. "Just the Ood in the cage we found that were singing...I just...heard their song, that was it. It drowned everything else out."

"What are we looking for?" said Donna. "Anything special?"

"Somewhere something important would be kept," said the Doctor thoughtfully. "Come on, keep an eye out while we - look out!" he bellowed when he saw something hit the ground beside them. He whirled away, intending to shield his eyes, and Jay, used to such matters after her travels with him, hastily did the same. Donna had barely turned away before the blast went off.

They were thrown by the blast that cracked through the air. It sent them sprawling to the ground. Donna cried out in surprise and alarm, pain shooting through her body. It'd be heavily bruised within hours. The Doctor merely blinked a few times and then immediately began to check on them. "Alright?" he asked Donna. She nodded, wincing. "Jay?" he called, lifting his voice.

"Fine," said Jay hoarsely, shaking her head as she staggered to her feet. Her ears rang. "Ugh." She rubbed her head with a grimace and then reached out to help Donna up, glancing around.

She stopped dead, however, when she found that they were being watched. "Doctor," she said urgently. The tone of voice was enough to drag his attention to her. After a brief moment, he followed her gaze and slowly stood, wary of the Ood despite the clear lack of red-eye. Jay gripped Donna's hand and pulled her to her feet, squeezing it in comfort before dropping it all together. "That's the Ood that was with Halpen," said Jay in realization, recognizing the symbol it wore.

"Yeah," said Donna in agreement, "it is."

"Please," said the Ood, inclining its head in politeness. "Follow me."

"What?" The Doctor looked less than inclined to agree. Maybe the Ood weren't as bad as they'd originally worried about regarding something like the red-eye, but still. He wasn't sure following one would result in something good. But Jay disagreed; she pushed past him, arm brushing his, and stepped right up to the Ood.

"What's your name?" she asked, ignoring his warning to be careful.

The Ood was a bit puzzled by her reaction, but stated simply, "Ood Sigma."

"A pleasure to meet you, Ood Sigma." Jay graced it with a small smile. "Would you be so kind as to tell us where you want to take us? I'm assuming from the way you're looking at us it isn't a trap."

"No," Ood Sigma answered. "Please, follow me. The circle must be broken."

"Lead the way," said Jay without hesitation.

The Doctor glared at her, annoyed that she wasn't waiting to see if they'd agree with this decision. She met his gaze evenly as the Ood turned to lead them. "It's not like we have any other starting point, Doctor. And the Ood...they see us as friends. They stopped. They didn't have to, but they stopped. Let's give Ood Sigma a chance. Trap or not, we gave it our best if it fails."

The Doctor contemplated, debating, and then gave a curt nod. "C'mon, Donna," he asid, and she nodded confidently, stepping after Jay before he could.

The three quietly followed Ood Sigma at a brisk pace as he lead them around the chaos taking place. They didn't miss how the Ood seemed to keep the violence away from them, focusing their attacks elsewhere when they grew near. The Doctor seemed to grow less wary the closer they got, a bit more trusting of Ood Sigma. His mistrust evaporated entirely when they came to a stop before a door to a building that was labeled as Warehouse 15.

"Warehouse Fifteen," murmured Jay as he slid towards the door to use his sonic screwdriver. It took a moment to unlock it, but when they did, the Doctor lead the way in. Jay came next with Donna, Ood Sigma at the back. She sucked in a sharp breath at what they found within.

The Doctor slowly stopped beside a series of railing that kept them from stepping over the edge of a large drop that was dangerously high. At the bottom of that drop was a massive, twitching brain. Donna made a sound of horror at the sight. Surrounding the massive brain was a series of electricity that cackled and buzzed loudly, warning of the pain it had to have been causing.

"The Ood Brain," said the Doctor, leaning on the railing to peer at the brain below. His normally kind dark eyes had turned cold, his features hard with anger. He could hear them - the people that were within the building. He needed to merely wait for them to come out on their own. "Now it all makes sense. That's the missing link - the third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hindbrain, and this: the telepathic center. It's a shared mind, connecting all of the Ood in song."

The cocking of a gun had them looking back. The Doctor didn't move as Halpen appeared a few feet away and along the barrier, Dr. Ryder at this side. He leveled a handgun at them with a dark look on his face. Jay took a slight step in front of Donna, worried that he'd fire it off at them, her fingers brushing over Donna's furry coat. "Cargo," Halpen said as if it wasn't concerning that he was effectively ruining a massive hivebrain. "I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, the sheds. Smaller business...much more manageable. Without livestock."

"He's mined the area," said Dr. Ryder hoarsely, his face pale. He shifted, looking very unhappy about the matter. The Doctor made a note of that as he finally straightened, turning to face those present with his hands pushed into his pocket. "Centuries ago...they found it, buried beneath the Northern Glacier."

"You're gonna kill it?" said Donna in horror, glancing back at the brain. Doing such a thing would kill the Ood! "Those things-"

"Pylons," supplied the Doctor without looking at her.

"Those pylons," she corrected, "they're in a circle."

"The circle must be broken," Jay whispered, pressing her lips togehter. She didn't like this. She didn't like this at _all_.

"They're damping the telepathic field." The Doctor looked back over his shoulder at the pylons again, studying them. There had to be a way to get rid of that circle. As the Ood had declared over and over, it had to be broken. "Stopping the Ood from connecting for centuries."

"And you, Ood Sigma," Halpen barked with a glare at Ood Sigma. "You brought them here. I expected better!"

Ood Sigma merely blinked and inclined his head. "My place is at your side, sir."

Halpen laughed, amused with Ood Sigma's loyalty, and then looked over when the Doctor spoke again, this time questioning him. "If that barrier," said the Doctor, "is there, why have the Ood started to break free?" He paused, and then answered his own question. "Well, they must have taken centuries to adapt...the subconscious, reaching out."

He blinked when Dr. Ryder, stepping forward, taking on a fierce and confident look, proudly lifting his chin. "But the process was too slow and had to be accelerated. You should never have given me access to those controls, Mr. Halpen...I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends of the Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company, and I _succeeded._ "

Halpen smirked, lowering his gun for just a fraction of a moment. "Yes," he muttered, "I suppose you did."

A shout of horror left Jay when Halpen suddenly grabbed Dr. Ryder by the front of his shirt and hoisted him over the railing to the brain below. Donna and Jay grabbed the railing to peer over it, watching in horror as the man was absorbed into it as if he were food for the brain. "You murdered him!" cried Donna, staring at Halpen.

"Very observant, Ginger," he said icily, mindlessly waving his gun. Jay's jaw tightened, eyes following the weapon. "Now then...can't say I've ever shot anyone before, and can't say I'm going to like it. But...it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still…" He aimed it at the two women, earning a dark look from the Doctor. He didn't dare move now, however, and feigned disinterest in what Halpen was doing after a moment.

Ood Sigma, however, had no such worries. He stepped between the gun and Jay and Donna, offering a small shot glass to him. "Please, have a drink, sir," he said as smoothly as one with a translator could.

Halpen looked a little unnerved by the offer - by the fact that an Ood that had served him for so long would step fearlessly between a gun and someone else. "If you're going to stand in their way," he began, "I'll shoot you, too."

"Please, sir," Ood Sigma urged. His voice was shockingly like a near purr. "Have a drink."

Halpen's hand began to tremble and he lowered the gun just a fraction. "Have you...have you... _poisoned_ me, Ood Sigma?"

Donna grabbed Jay's arm in fear as Ood Sigma said, "Natural Ood must never kill, sir." When the Doctor slowly asked what it was that Ood Sigma was giving to Halpen, Ood Sigma answered with ease. "It is ood-graft suspended in a biological compound, sir."

"Oh, dear," said the Doctor, eyes widening. Halpen whirled on him in a panic, and the Doctor found a smile spreading over his face. This would be a good end for someone like Halpen - one without violence. "Funny thing, the subconscious. It takes all sorts of shapes. Came out in the red-eye as revenge...in the rabid Ood as anger...and then...there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy, focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mr. Halpen?"

Anxiously, Halpen touched his head. He made a choked sound when globs of hair came free in his gloved hand. "What have you done?" he said, voice lifting to a shout. " _What have you done_?!"

Jay's eyes darted between the Doctor and Halpen as she slowly tugged Donna closer to the Time Lord. Something was going on here, she thought, and she gripped the Doctor's arm when she'd gotten close enough. "Doctor," she breathed wen Halpen dropped the gun and doubled over, fisting his hands over his head. "What's...what's going on?"

The Doctor merely patted her shoulder in comfort before saying to Halpen with a smirk, "They've been preparing you for a _very_ long time, Mr. Halpen. And now you're standing next to the Ood Brain. Mr. Halpen, can you hear it? Listen."

Silence fell when Halpen suddenly seemed to peel the skin away from his head. Donna sputtered as the skin fell away and he straightened, revealing an Ood-like face taking form. Tentacles seemed to come out of his mouth and within seconds, he'd turned completely into an Ood. Donna's voice shook as she said, "They turned him into an Ood."

"Yep," agreed the Doctor.

"He's an _Ood_."

"Yeah, we noticed."

Halpen gave a final sneeze and a small, vulnerable hindbrain fell carefully into his hands. Ood Sigma stepped forward to stand beside him as he blinked gently at the trio of travelers. "He has become Oodkind," said Ood Sigma. "And we will take care of him."

Donna studied Halpen for a few moments and then looked to Jay, who met her eyes with a faint smile. "It's weird, being with him. I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore."

"Not a bad thing," Jay said, laughing softly. "People like that...well. THey tend to be like my father, actually, I believe."

A sudden beep had the Doctor whirling around and diving for the railing. He grabbed something that was hidden over the edge, twisting until it shut off. "There we are, the detonators are off. And now…" He whirled around, his trench coat seeming to fly around his knees as he bounced over to a series of machinery. "Sigma, would you allow me the honor?" he asked hopefully as he rested his hand on a lever.

"It is yours, Doctor," Ood Sigma said with a nod.

A grin appeared on Jay's face as she turned she and Donna around to watch when the Doctor laughed. "Stifled for centuries!" he shouted in his excitement, "but not anymore." He slammed the lever down and the electricity that had been stifling the Ood vanished. "The circle is broken."

"They're singing," whispered Donna a few moments later, her eyes lighting with joy at the beauty of the song she could hear. "I can hear it!"

Slowly, Jay withdrew her TARDIS key and pendant from around her neck and slid into a crouch beside Donna. With great care, she rested the chain upon the ground and pulled her fingers back to listen.

The song that filled her ears was one of sheer joy and happiness. After who knew how long, the Ood were free, and they sang that freedom to those that could hear it. Tears sprung to Jay's eyes as she listened, her eyes locked on the stone that had blocked the sound of their pain from her mind over the course of their time on Ood-Sphere. She dwelled in their song, letting it wash over her, and smiled a little, reminded of how she'd felt when the Doctor and Martha had saved her from the creature - when they'd agreed to take her with them.

She wasn't sure how long she crouched there, but a hand on her shoulder drew her attention elsewhere. Half-lost in the song and half-focusing, she managed to gather that it was Donna crouched before her. "Are you okay?" asked Donna, searching her gaze worriedly. "Should I get the Doctor?"

"No, I'm fine," whispered Jay, voice trembling. "I'm just...just listening."

She could have listened to their song forever.

* * *

"The message has gone out," the Doctor said a few hours later, his hands pushed into his pockets and fiddling with whatever they came across in them. He stood before the TARDIS with Donna and Jay, several Ood - including Ood Sigma - standing with them. "That song resonated across the galaxies. Everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back." A smile crossed his face. "The Ood are coming home."

Ood Sigma blinked. "We thank you, Doctor Donna, Jay," he said. "Friends of Oodkind. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you."

"Oh, no," the Doctor said, glancing at his two friends. "I've sort of got a song of my own, thanks." Jay offered a reassuring smile that froze on her face at Ood Sigma's next few words.

"I think your song must end soon." The Doctor whipped his head around to stare at the Ood. "Every song must end."

"Erm, yeah," the Doctor replied, clearing his throat awkwardly. Jay watched him silently, not missing the brief flash of fear that crossed his face. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and took his hand, squeezing it in comfort. He squeezed back and then said to Donna, worried about what her answer would be, "What about you, Donna? Still want to go home?"

"No," she said confidently. "Definitely not." The song they'd heard...it had been terrible, and knowing her kind had done it only made it worse. But they'd _freed_ them. And she liked the idea of freeing more like the Ood, of helping those who needed it.

"Then we'll be off." The Doctor bumped Jay with his shoulder and nodded towards the TARDIS. She nodded and took her key in hand, moving to unlock the door. She paused when Ood Sigma lifted his hands to sing them off, speaking fondly to them.

"Know this, friends. You will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of the Doctor Donna, of Jay, and our children's children. And the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."

Jay flashed the Ood a final, warm smile, pleased, and then stepped inside. Donna and the Doctor were only a moment behind her, the Doctor sweeping the door shut behind them. Jay studied the beauty of the TARDIS, touching her pendant and admittedly wishing she could hear at least the TARDIS around it.

She quietly watched the Doctor as he moved quickly around the console, her eyes never leaving him. She didn't miss the dark look that crossed his face several times, the fear that lingered - everything that Donna missed as he sent the TARDIS through the time vortex to some random point in space and time. When he was done, he sent it into drift and shrugged off his coat.

"I'm gonna go and get something to eat," Donna said, happy to be back in the TARDIS. "Do you want anything, Jay?"

"Sure," agreed Jay, touching her stomach thoughtfully. "I'll be just a moment. Put on some tea or something, too," she added as Donna headed for the kitchen. Donna waved to show she'd heard, shrugging off her own coat as she went.

When she was gone, Jay slipped out of her coat, too, and moved over to take the Doctor's for him. He handed it off easily, brow furrowed as he studied the console, lost in thought. Jay neatly folded it over her arm and studied him a moment longer before asking, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said immediately.

"I don't believe that," she retorted, and he glanced at her in surprised amusement. Jay rarely tended to show any mention of a temper unless people were being insulted needlessly or hurting others. "Tell me. I've been here a year and some extra time now. I know better."

He searched her face and then sighed, realizing she wasn't going to let it go. He walked around the console to drop into the captain's seat, and she went to throw their coats in their normal place before heading back to join him. She stood beside him rather than sitting, waiting, and after some time, the Doctor admitted, "Ood Sigma said my song was ending."

"He did," agreed Jay, "but he didn't say it was today." He shrugged, frowning. Jay quietly asked after some hesitation, "Do you...do you think he meant you'd die, or that you'd regenerate, like the Master did?"

The Doctor winced, not too pleased to be compared to the Master. Still, he said, "I don't know. Even if it was regeneration...this face...who I am now...would die." He glanced at her. "I'd be replaced by someone new, someone different, Jay."

"Well, even if that happens," said Jay firmly, "I'm not leaving. You'd still be the Doctor, no matter what you looked like or how you acted. You'd still be my friend. And I'm not going anywhere."

A small smile curved over his lips and the Doctor said, "Thank you, Jay. Now go on and find Donna before she burns something in the oven. The TARDIS wasn't too happy with her last attempt."

Jay nodded and went to do just that, disappearing down the corridor that would take her to the kitchen, and the Doctor watched her go, furrowing his brow thoughtfully. The sentiment was truly nice, and he really appreciated her determination to not go anywhere...but his last regeneration had knocked him out. He'd held it back, for Rose. The TARDIS should have taken quite a bit of time to recover, but he'd held it back.

He wouldn't be able to do that so easily a second time.

Let alone the fact that he had no intention to go down so easily. He didn't want to die - nor regenerate.

So, the Doctor decided, he'd do as he'd always done.

He'd run, and he'd take his friends along on the journey with him.

* * *

 _On a roll watching Doctor Who and got to writing some more. Loving where this is heading now a days. Guess who makes a return next chapter? ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers_ _(bored411, Great i dea, and meowmixkitkat!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	20. The Sontaran Stratagem

Laughter filled the air as Jay waved smoke out of her face, trying to peer through it at the meal she'd been attempting to make. Having come from a home that hadn't allowed her to learn the process of cooking, Jay had thought to give it a try after their latest lovely meal on a planet with a sunset that left something to be desired when you came from Earth. The Doctor, knowing Donna's record, had been wary, but had left she and Donna to it. The only warning he'd left was to not burn anything and to not make a mess - both of which Jay had failed miserably at within half an hour.

"You're a terrible teacher," giggled Jay as she eyed the black mess in the pan before her.

Donna frowned, although a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You didn't follow the instructions," the older woman scolded, earning a sheepish smile from Jay. "I told you to follow the instructions-" A shriek left her when sprinklers suddenly went off from the ceiling above, drenching them both.

The pair stared at one another in shock, having not been prepared for such an event, and then burst out laughing. They were still laughing when the Doctor ducked in, wrinkling his nose at the smell of smoke that filled his nose. He stared at them in exasperation as he lingered in the doorway, reluctant to get wet by entering the kitchen. "I told you," he began, and Jay merely waved him off, smiling broadly at him.

"We'll clean up," she promised, still laughing under her breath.

The Doctor eyed them, the smile on both of their faces, and gave up. "You better," he said, shaking his head. A smile appeared on his mouth as well. As long as they were happy and having fun, he supposed.

And cleaning up after themselves, too.

* * *

The next two hours were spent polishing up the kitchen. Jay and Donna cleaned and dealt with the smoke with the Doctor's help, although the smoke was all he was willing to help with. The TARDIS seemed to hum with amusement herself as Jay trailed off to her room to shower and change quickly.

She beat Donna out to the console room, smoothing her hands over the shirt and jeans she'd pulled on. She was grateful that the three-quarter sleeves of her shirt hid the black veins that went up her arm. The Doctor had changed, too, putting on a blue suit rather than the brown pin-striped suit he'd been wearing in recent times. The red tie at his throat contrasted rather sharply with the color he wore now. She didn't miss the frown on his face and decided to help with whatever was worrying him.

Jay moved over to join him, her blue eyes narrowing almost playfully. "What has you so worried?"

He glanced over, seeming caught off guard by her sudden approach. "Nothing," he said, whirling around to face her. He pushed a smile to his face. "Where's Donna?"

"She's coming. Something about wanting to learn something from you," said Jay, not taking her eyes off of him. She arched a brow. "Don't lie. You're worried about something. I can see it on your face." She poked his arm once to try and enforce what she was getting out of him, but the Doctor ignored her, instead smiling at something over her shoulder.

"Donna!" he cheerfully greeted, bypassing the conversation, and Jay huffed, deciding it was likely he was remembering what the Ood had said and just didn't want to talk about it. She'd make him later; it wasn't good to bottle things up.

"Spaceman!" she replied almost mockingly, much to the Doctor's annoyance and Jay's amusement. She lost the attitude a moment later and said, "I wanted to ask you something." The Doctor gestured for her to go ahead. Donna hesitated, looking uncharacteristically nervous about what she wanted to ask. After a few moments, she finally demanded, "Show me how to drive the TARDIS."

The Doctor stared dumbly at her, completely unprepared. "What?" he said, blinking.

Donna cleared her throat. "I want to learn how to drive the TARDIS. We could both learn," she added with a nod at Jay. "Just in case you need help some day. What are you going to do if you have to be doing something else but need to drive the TARDIS and we have to stand around looking ridiculous and doing nothing?"

"No," the Doctor said firmly. "It takes years and years to learn how, and we-"

" _Please_?" begged Jay, latching onto his arm with a hopeful look, nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Please, Doctor? It could be fun, and like Donna said, even learning a little could be useful!" She beamed up at him.

The Doctor eyed her suspiciously and then looked between she and Donna. Finally, he groaned and hung his head, running his hands over his face. "Fine," he said, and both women cheered in excitement. "But you do everything I say, do you hear me?"

"Whatever you say, we promise," echoed Jay, bouncing over to the console. "Come on, Donna!"

The Doctor groaned and wondered what he'd just gotten himself into.

* * *

When Donna first voiced the desire to learn how to fly the TARDIS, the Doctor had thought it to be one of the worst suggestions he'd ever heard. He didn't say it aloud, of course, but he'd taken one look at his friend and wanted to deny it. _Never in a million years,_ he'd wanted to tell her. Donna Noble had no business flying the TARDIS through space and time - nor did Jay.

Yet the wide-eyed blonde had excitedly taken a hold of his arm and looked at him so hopefully when Donna had suggested they both learn, so that they could help him when he needed it, and he'd buckled. He still wasn't sure why as he paced anxiously back and forth only ten minutes later, glasses on and eyes serious as he judged what the pair were doing with the console of his TARDIS.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna gasped as she reached for some controls. The Doctor flashed her a smile of reassurance when she paused to look at him for confirmation, the TARDIS shuddering around them as it traveled.

"Neither can I - Jay, watch that dial, don't let it past ten," he warned her, interrupting himself to do so.

"Right!" Jay looked rather serious herself as she did as she was told, still practically vibrating in her delight to be guiding the TARDIS. A light flicked and she immediately reached over to press the button. The Doctor noted that; the TARDIS had guided her, too. She wanted them - or, at least, Jay - to learn how to fly her. _Interesting_. The TARDIS rarely ever did that for even him..

"Careful!" he said a few minutes later, bumping Donna aside. She stumbled back to give him room as he whacked the large hammer he'd been carrying around for some time now on the console and flipped a lever. Jay frowned at him as he moved back so Donna could take over again.

"That's unnecessary," she grumbled. "Don't hit her."

Ignoring Jay's complaints, the Doctor suddenly ordered Donna, "Left hand down, Donna, left hand down!" She did as he said with haste and the TARDIS jolted violently to one side, making him wince when she made a sound he didn't like. "Getting a bit close to the nineteen-eighties," he muttered, reaching around Donna to twist a knob. He checked briefly with Jay, who seemed to be having no problems with the TARDIS's guidance.

"What am I gonna do?" said Donna with a sarcastic snort. She eyed him. "Put a dent in 'em?"

Jay giggled and reached around the console to shift another control, but paused when a soft sound suddenly filled the air. She blinked, glancing at the Doctor, who looked just as confused for a moment. "Hold on," Donna said as Jay began the search for the source, finding it in the form of a device she immediately recognized. She snatched it from the console and the Doctor rounded it to peer over her shoulder. "You've got a mobile? Since when?"

"Not mine," said the Doctor. "Martha gave it to Jay."

"She gave it to you, and you gave it to me because you didn't think you needed it," Jay corrected, flipping it around and looking at him. "What do I do with it? I've never really dealt with stuff like this."

"Answer it." The Doctor made an impatient motion, not sure who'd be calling and not having caught sight of the caller ID that would have told him who it was.

Jay put it to her ear as she'd seen Martha do so many times when Martha had been with them and said with great hesitation, "Hello?"

 _"Jay?"_ a voice she knew well answered, and Jay perked up, a broad smile encompassing her features as she realized who was speaking to her. _"Can you hear me?"_ There was a pause, and then, _"Is that the TARDIS? Something doesn't sound right…"_

Jay bounced a bit and said, "Martha!" The Doctor looked over with a bit more interest, and Jay heard Martha laugh softly in response. "Yes, that's the TARDIS. The Doctor's showing us how to fly her."

 _"Us?"_

"A new friend for me, old friend for him," she said in explanation, rocking back a bit with a happy sound. "What do you need, Martha? Is everything alright?"

 _"Well,"_ said Martha, sounding amused with Jay's excited reaction to her phone call, _"if you're in the TARDIS then that means you're still with the Doctor, right? Which is good. I need you guys here, back on Earth."_

Jay glanced over at the Doctor, and the look she wore had him bumping Donna completely out of the way. He began whirling around the console with expertise, pausing only once to question when and where, and when Martha gave the answer, Jay repeated it. As the Doctor went about landing the TARDIS, Jay turned her attention back on the phone and said, "We're on our way, Martha. See you soon!"

Martha merely laughed as she hung up, and Jay stepped back to join Donna, who watched all of this anxiously. "Where are we going?" asked Donna, her wide green eyes darting between the grinning Time Lord and Jay, who bounced beside her and shook out her wrists, ignoring the tingling there.

"Your time on Earth," the Doctor said as he slammed a lever down. The TARDIS shuddered, sounding much more like her normal self. He brushed past to another control, not looking up from what he was doing. "Hope you two are ready for trouble! I doubt Martha made a social call."

"Probably not," agreed Jay. She turned to Donna, who had begun to smartly dress as if trouble was on its way twenty-four seven. She looked down at her own outfit, wiggling her toes in her shoes - which she'd proudly tied herself. "I think we're good to go, don't you, Donna?"

"Yes," Donna said confidently. "I want to meet this Martha. She was good for you."

"She was," the Doctor agreed and waited a moment as the TARDIS landed, materializing in the alleyway that Marhta had told them to land in. He spun the screen around to double check and smiled briefly at the sight of the very woman they'd been speaking of waiting for them just outside the TARDIS.

The creaking of the doors had him glancing over in time to find Jay throwing one open and duckingoutside without hesitation. "Jay!" he huffed, annoyed. He'd have to have a conversation with her about just leaving the TARDIS without asking if it was safe first. Just because he'd done as Martha had said didn't mean it wasn't dangerous.

But rather than panic, he heard her laughter as she shouted, "Martha!" He strode across the console room, Donna hesitating to follow, and peered outside in time to see Jay slam into her friend, arms around her. Martha looked startled by it, her dark eyes flying wide. He chuckled to himself. The last time they'd seen Martha, Jay had still been recovering from their time aboard the _Valiant._ She'd not been nearly as cheery, and hadn't been quite as used to physical touch as she was now. In fact, he noted, Jay seemed to thrive off of touch now a days.

"Jay!" exclaimed Martha in response, hugging her back. She stepped back after a moment, hands on her friend's shoulders. She swept her gaze up and down Jay's form, touching her hair with a slight smile. "Your hair's so long now…"

Jay touched the golden locks, too, noting that it had grown past her shoulders. "I think a trim is in order," she admitted. "How have you been? You look different...you've changed."

Martha winked and then turned her attention on the Doctor. "You, on the other hand, haven't changed a bit, Doctor."

"Martha Jones," the Doctor mused as he strode over to join them. He didn't hesitate to sweep his friend into a tight hug, and she laughed as she returned it, her arms tight around him. He let go after a moment, smiling warmly at her. Jay moved right back next to Martha when the Doctor had finished. Martha looked much happier and healthier than she had when they'd last seen her. "How's the family?"

"You know, not so bad. Recovering still, but on the mend." Martha suddenly peered around them and smiled a little at Donna, who'd hesitantly come to join them, standing a few feet back. "Should have known. Didn't take you too long to replace me then?"

"Never replaced," Jay declared. "You were never replaced. We just let someone new tag along." She made a face. _We_. As if she had any claim to the TARDIS and who tagged along… "This is Donna Noble. Donna, this is our friend Martha Jones, the one who traveled with us before you came along."

Donna smiled hesitantly and stepped forward, offering a hand. Martha gave it a firm shake, smiling friendly. "I've heard all about you," Donna told Martha. "Jay talks about you all the time. Him, too."

"I dread to think." Martha grimaced.

"No, no, no, no," Donna hurried to deny, "Good things, nice things. Really...good things."

"Oh, my God," Martha groaned, shooting the Doctor and Jay an exasperated look. "They've told you everything." Jay bit her lip, looking worried that she'd not be forgiven. Martha nudged her with her shoulder reassuringly to show she didn't really mind. A glint caught the light and made Jay grab her hand, looking at the ring that she found upon it.

"Martha!" she gasped. "You're engaged?"

Martha proudly displayed the ring, beaming at them. "Tom Miligan, pediatrics. He's working out in Africa right now, and yes, I know," she added with a roll of her eyes, though her features were soft with love at the thought of Tom Miligan. "I've got a doctor who disappears off to distant places. Tell me about it."

"Is he skinny?" Donna asked suddenly, a smirk appearing on her face as she prepared to tease the Time Lord. Martha shook her head and admitted that Tom was rather strong, and Donna rolled her eyes as well, pointing to the Doctor. " _He_ is too skinny for words. You give him a hug, you get a paper cut."

Jay giggled at the disgruntled look on the Doctor's face when he wrinkled his nose and pouted. "I'd rather you were all fighting," he told them, and Martha blinked at his choice of words, losing her smile.

"Speaking of which…" She withdrew a few steps and pulled a walkie-talkie from a place at her belt. Jay took a moment to study her appearance, taking in the rather militaristic black armor and clothes. "Dr. Jones here. Operation Blue Sky is a go." She pushed the Doctor forward with one hand, knowing the other two would follow as she guided him out of the alley. "I repeat, this is a go!"

They'd barely emerged from the alley when a series of vehicles roared onto the road, rounding a corner. The Doctor barred Jay and Donna from getting ahead when they screamed to a halt across the street. Dozens upon dozens of men and women in black uniforms piled out of many trucks and vans, a voice shouting above the commotion, "Unified Intelligence Taskforce. Raise that barrier, now! All workers, lay down your tools and surrender!"

Martha frowned and took off at a run, heading towards it all and looking as if she fit right in with it all. She barely looked concerned when she was nearly struck by a moving car, merely moved out of the way. "Greyhound Six to Trap One!" she shouted into her walkie-talkie, looking over and waving the trio after her. "B section, search the ground floor with grid pattern delta!"

"What the hell is going on?" Jay whispered, keeping close to the Doctor and Donna. She eyed the men and women around her suspiciously, not entirely fond of them. They looked rather like the people aboard the _Valiant_ , if she was being perfectly honest.

"Good question," muttered the Doctor, catching Martha's arm when she nearly took off again. "What are you searching for?"

"Illegal aliens," she answered, distracted. "B section mobilized!" she announced to whoever was listening on the other end of that walkie-talkie. "E section, F section, on my command-" She vanished among the people, shouting orders and Donna suddenly spoke, her voice trembling a little in alarm.

"Is that what you did to her, Doctor? Turn her into a soldier?"

He pressed his lips together, clearly believing that was the case, and Jay, knowing he'd not meant to, took his hand and held on tightly.

* * *

It was some time of them just standing there awkwardly and waiting for Martha to come back before she did. During that time, they watched as factory workers were arrested and taken into custody - not always with a nice attitude, either. They stuck close and kept quiet with the Doctor until she had, and then they were off to where Martha wanted them to go. As they walked, the Doctor watched Martha out of the corner of his eye. Jay had been right; Martha was different. And because of him, nonetheless.

Martha had been telling them about what had happened since she'd joined UNIT after the Year That Never Was, and Jay listened intently to it all, although the Doctor had zoned off a bit every now and then. "-rushed it through, given my experience in the field," Martha was saying, although she stopped as they reached a massive truck that she stopped outside of. "Here we go. We've established a field base on site, or we're working on it." She waved them closer. "They're dying to meet you."

"Wish I could say the same," the Doctor muttered to Donna, who nodded her agreement.

They only had to wait a short while before an older man emerged from the truck, dropping to stand before them. He turned to face her when he noticed her and Jay studied him. He was balding, supporting a military uniform. Jay could tell immediately that the Doctor wasn't too impressed with him - nor was she. She'd disliked such people in her time, too, when they'd come to meet her father.

"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir," Martha said proudly to the man. "Thanks for letting me take the lead. This is the Doctor, sir. Doctor, Colonel Mace."

Mace saluted the Doctor, who immediately made a face in distaste. "Sir!"

"Oh, don't salute," he grumbled, and Mace furrowed his brow even as he spoke.

"Well, it's an honor, sir. I've read all of the files on you and, technically speaking, you're still on staff." The Doctor debated that, having forgotten. "You never resigned."

"You used to work for them?" Donna asked, glancing at the Doctor in interest.

"Yeah, long time ago. Back in the seventies...or was it the eighties?" He paused, then shrugged, not minding if he was wrong this once. He put his hands in his pockets, studying Mace closely and judging how much this person was going to be a problem. "It was all a bit more homespun back then."

"Times have changed, sir," pointed out Mace, gesturing around them to indicate what he meant.

"Yeah, that's enough of the 'sir,'" he muttered, scowling.

Martha frowned at the Doctor's attitude. "Come on, Doctor, you've seen it. You've been aboard the _Valiant._ " Jay flinched at the name and the Doctor's expression deep end just for a moment. Martha pretended she'd not noticed, moving on. "We've got massive funding from the United Nations. All in the name of home world security. A modern UNIT for a modern world."

Donna, scowling, snapped at Mace and Martha, "What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers?" She knew that her friends liked Martha, and she'd initially been rather fond of her, too. But now, she was a bit worried that the Martha they'd all liked was a bit different than the one standing before her. "In the streets, in broad daylight? It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there." Mace looked at her as if confused about who she was and what she was doing there, and Donna snapped at him, "Donna, by the way. You didn't ask. Donna Noble. And that's Jay, Jay O'Connors. We'll have a salute, too."

"Donna," Jay protested, wincing when Mace hesitated before saluting them both.

"Thank you," Donna said curtly, ignoring Jay's unhappiness as she put an arm around Jay's shoulder, as if comforting her for something she didn't need. Jay didn't push her away, sensing that Donna needed it more than she did.

"So," said Jay, biting her lip as she hesitantly spoke up. She wasn't too confident in the face of so many clearly powerful people, "What's going on in that factory? Why are you arresting the workers like that, Martha?"

"Yesterday, fifty-two people died in identical circumstances," Mace told them though she'd asked Martha. Martha didn't seem to mind. "Right across the world in eleven different time zones. Five in the morning in the UK, six in France, eight in Moscow, and one in the afternoon in China."

"Simultaneously," the Doctor muttered under his breath. "Fifty-two deaths, same moment, worldwide...how did they die?" He looked to Martha and waved Mace off when he tried to answer this time.

"Inside their cars," she said, meeting his gaze. "They were poisoned, but when I checked the biopsies, no toxins. Whatever it is, it left the system immediately." When the Doctor glanced around and asked no one in particular what the cars had in common, Martha chose to answer again. "Completely different makes, but they're all fitted with ATMOS. And _that_ ," she indicated the building they'd been raiding, "is the ATMOS factory."

"What's ATMOS?" questioned Jay, having no idea as to what they were talking about.

"Stands for Atmospheric Omission System. Fit ATMOS in your car, reduces carbon emissions to zero."

Donna, ignoring the Doctor's startled expression, said cheerfully, "Everyone's got it. Sat-nav and twenty quid in shopping vouchers if you introduce a friend." She shrugged, looking pleased that she knew something to help with the conversation. "A bargain!"

"And this is where they make it, Doctor," added Mace, nodding towards the factory like Martha had done. "Shipping worldwide. Seventeen factories across the globe, but this is the central depot, sending ATMOS to every country on Earth."

The Doctor turned to look at the building closely, getting the feeling that they thought the ATMOS system to be rather alien. It had to be considered as such if UNIT was involved like this. At least it wasn't Torchwood...although if Jack was truly running Torchwood now, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have them around.

"Come on," said Mace, starting forward. He didn't stop to see if they'd follow, only expected them to. The Doctor made a face at him behind his back, but did as Mace wanted. He made sure Donna and Jay were following as well; Martha would take care of herself. She was his friend, but she wasn't in any danger and she knew what she was doing. Donna was the one he was most worried about. Despite a few months of traveling, she was still unused to some things.

As they walked, Martha fell into step beside Jay, clearly wanting to chat. "So any fun trips since you last saw me?"

"Quite a few," he heard Jay say in response, a smile crossing her face. "We've seen some lovely things and saved quite a few people. But…" She trailed off a bit, suddenly frowning. "It wasn't always good. You know how it goes." She hesitated, and then surprised both Donna and the Doctor by admitting aloud to Martha, "I'm the one who made Vesuvius erupt and kill almost twenty-thousand people."

Martha nearly stopped to stare at her. Donna stepped closer to wrap an arm around her shoulders protectively and give her a fond squeeze, reassuring her that it wasn't entirely her fault at all. In fact, Donna told her as they walked, Donna blamed the Pyrovile.

The Doctor felt Martha turn her gaze on him as they entered the factory, meandering through the halls to get to wherever the colonel wanted them. It was his fault that such a thing had happened; he should have done something to stop his friend from doing it. He'd known for weeks now that she was still struggling to overcome what she'd done. She'd been getting better at sleeping, but every now and then something would remind her and a horrible guilty expression would appear on her face.

"Here it is," Mace said suddenly, distracting them from what they'd been discussing. He stepped into an office and stopped. He didn't look as if he cared what had or hadn't happened with an ancient Roman town. "ATMOS can be threaded through any and every make of car."

"You must have checked," the Doctor huffed, glancing at Martha for confirmation. "Before it went on sale."

"We did. We found nothing." Martha flashed him a grin in response. "That's why I thought we needed an expert."

"Really?" He looked downright puzzled. "Who'd you get?" She looked pointedly at him, grin widening in amusement, and Jay stifled a snort. "Oh!" he suddenly gasped in realization. The Doctor smiled sheepishly. "Right, me. Yes. Good."

"So why would aliens," Donna asked, frowning as she looked around the office," be so keen on cleaning up our atmosphere?" The Doctor gave her an approving nod as he paced around the office, checking to see what was useful within it. "Maybe they want to help get rid of pollution and stuff."

Jay thought of those that she'd met in the future, in her time and elsewhere. "Maybe," she agreed, frowning, "but these cars...the cars of your time aren't much different from the cars of my time. They look like they should be producing disgusting amounts of pollution, and there's so many, many more."

"Eight hundred million, to be exact," said the Doctor, agreeing with Jay's line of thinking. "Imagine that. If you could control all of the cars on this planet, you'd have eight hundred million weapons." He brushed past them all and began shuffling through things. "Bring me an ATMOS device," he said sharply, and Martha slid from the room to go and grab one. "Do you have blue prints?"

"Somewhere," Mace said.

"We'll look." Jay grabbed Donna's arm and pulled her out of the office to go and hunt for something, figuring that they could at least make themselves useful and shuffle through a bunch of paperwork to find what the Doctor wanted. They worked quietly after ducking into a room they found to be filled with personnel paperwork, and every now and then, Jay would shake her fingers out, as if ridding them of some itch. It wasn't until the fifth time she did it that Donna asked.

"Jay, are you okay?" she asked softly so the Doctor wouldn't hear.

Jay cleared her throat softly as she flipped through the pages of a binder. "I should be for a bit. It's only up through my forearm right now, almost the elbow and knee. I don't think we'll need to worry until well after whatever we're doing here is over with…" She trailed off, frowning at some papers. Something was off with the paperwork. She couldn't figure out what.

Donna fell quiet again for a few moments and then asked, "Is...is there really nothing that can be done? The spaceman...hasn't he looked?"

Jay paused to study Donna's anxious expression and then smiled softly at her. She looked so, so worried...it was nice that someone cared so much. Not that the Doctor or even Martha _didn't_ care, but...she still was getting to know Donna. They'd gotten to know one another better over the last few months, but there was always work to do. Donna had told her all about how she and the Doctor had met, and Jay had returned the favor, earning horror in response.

Donna had told her straight up that she'd much prefer a giant spider, and Jay had agreed that a giant spider was much, _much_ nicer than what she'd seen. Even if it had been thinking about feeding her to the millions of babies that had died.

"He did," she said, reaching for another binder. "He looked. He took me to a few places." Very few hospitals, however, as Jay had been forced to endure one single round of blood drawing. After that, Jay had threatened to crash the TARDIS into the hottest of stars if she had to deal with needles like that again. "But it's a one of a kind thing, and no one knows what to do." She shrugged. "We don't know what it'll do in the future, Donna, if it'll kill me, and I'm still kicking now, so...we've not given up, I don't think," she added when Donna stared at her sadly. "Just...we're not actively looking right now. There are better things to do. If we find something along the way...than good for us!"

They paused when in the next room over, the Doctor's lifted voice could be head saying irritably, "You're carrying a gun. I don't like people with guns hanging around me. All right?"

"Touchy," said Donna under her breath, earning a chuckle from Jay.

"Look at this," she added a few minutes later. Jay, halfway across the room and sitting on the floor, crawled over to peer over Donna's shoulder - at an empty binder. "Sick days," she told her. "No sick days. How's that possible?"

"Donna Noble," Jay declared as she realized just how important such a thing could be despite being so small, shooting to her feet and pulling Donna up with her. "You're amazing! Come on, let's go show the Doctor!"

They strode swiftly through the hall until they'd returned to the room they'd left the Doctor and Mace in. Jay paused in the doorway with Donna; it looked as if Martha had come back. The Doctor was looking over what Jay assumed to be an ATMOS device. Neither noticed their return and Donna winked at Jay before lifting her voice. "Oi! You lot!" The pair looked back at Donna, startled. "All of your storm troopers and your sonics...you're rubbish." Donna smirked proudly. "Should've come with us."

"Why?" the Doctor demanded, turning to face them entirely. He studied them closely. "Where have you been?"

"Personnel." Donna shifted the binder she'd brought with in her arms. "That's where the weird stuff's happening. In the paperwork. I spent _years_ working as a temp, and I can find my way 'round an office blindfolded, so the first thing I noticed?" She opened the binder to show him what was - well, wasn't within it: paperwork. "Empty file of sick days. None. Hundreds of people working here and no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip. _Nothing_. Not ever! They don't get ill."

"That can't be right," Mace said, frowning as he stepped closer - as if he'd find something hidden within the binder that they'd not noticed.

Jay smirked at him a little. "You've been investigating the wrong thing, Colonel Mace," she said quietly. "You shouldn't have been looking at the factory, but the workers."

Martha stared at the pair and then told Donna, amused, "You're good. I can see why they like you."

"Super temp!" declared Donna with a proud, beaming smile. Jay giggled.

Colonel Mace turned on Martha, looking at her with a frown. "Dr. Jones, set up a medical post and start examining the workers. I'll get them sent through to you." Without waiting to see if she would or wouldn't, he turned and strode away, determined to do something or another. The Doctor hesitated, glancing over when Martha paused to take Donna's arm in hand with a gentle touch.

"Come on," she told Donna, "come give me a hand." To Jay, she said with a gentle smile, "You stick with him." She inclined her head towards the Doctor. "You know the kind of trouble he gets into. I'll keep an eye on Donna for you."

Jay knew a dismissal when she saw one and felt a little hurt by it when Donna agreed, leaving arm in arm with Martha. She stood there cluelessly in the doorway, watching after them, and then looked up when the Doctor joined her. Gently, he said, "Martha's worried, that's all. She's probably going to tell Donna about the _Valiant_ , Jay."

Understanding flashed through her. She wanted to warn Donna about what could happen in full, not just what the Doctor and Jay would tell her. "Okay," she said, feeling a little bit better about the matter. "So where are we going then?"

The Doctor only bumped past her and took off at a sprint, not waiting to see if Jay would follow. She did, trailing after him until he caught up with Mace. When he had, he slowed to a walk, walking side-by-side with the colonel. Jay joined them, keeping a few steps behind as the Doctor addressed him. "So this ATMOS thing. Where did it come from?"

Jay knew immediately what his plan was. "Luke Rattigan himself," said Mace as he stepped into a room full of other personnel and machinery. "Child genius," he continued, pulling up a file for Luke Rattigan on one of the screens for the Doctor to look at. "Invented the Fountain Six search engine when he was twelve years old. Millionaire overnight. Now, he runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school, educating students that were handpicked from all over the world."

"A hothouse for geniuses," the Doctor mused, flashing Jay a playful grin. "Wouldn't mind going there. I get lonely."

"Rude," she told him, but returned the smile with one of her own. "So...are we going to visit Luke Rattigan then, Doctor?"

"Yes." The Doctor straightened to his full height and took on a serious expression. "I want to meet the person behind ATMOS...who knows, maybe Luke Rattigan's an alien himself and you lot just didn't notice." He turned to Jay entirely. "Are you coming?"

"Of course." She rolled her eyes. "As if I wouldn't. We should check with Donna and Martha though. I'm assuming Martha's going to stay, but we should still ask…"

"And me," said Mace without hesitation, "I'll be accompanying you."

The Time Lord immediately shook his head, denying the "offer." "You're not coming with us," he said firmly and then strode off without waiting. Jay hurried after him, making a face. They were wandering around the factory too much. Far more than she liked. "I want to talk to Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him."

"It's ten miles outside London," Mace pointed out, keeping up with ease. "How are you going to get there?"

"Get me a jeep!"

"According to the records, you travel by TARDIS," he pointed out, and the Doctor stopped to give him a look of exasperation, unable to believe the man before him had just suggested such an idea to him.

"Yes," the Doctor said slowly, narrowing his eyes a fraction. "But if there's a danger of hostile aliens, I think it's best to keep a super-duper time machine away from the front lines. Don't you?"

Mace's answer wasn't something Jay could say made her feel too warm and fuzzy. "I see. So you do have weapons, but choose to keep them hidden...Jenkins!" he suddenly barked when a couple of camouflage-clad men and women strode by, their red berets sticking out against the bland scenery. Each held a gun and though Jay didn't like the looks of them, the one that stopped at Mace's demand seemed nice enough. "You will accompany the Doctor and his friend, and take orders from him."

"I don't do orders." Jay's lips twitched when this was mostly directed at her and she arched a brow, remembering how bossy he'd been while trying to teach she and Donna how to steer the TARDIS. _Sure you don't._

"Any sign of trouble," Mace told him, ignoring his comment, "get Jenkins to declare a Code Red. And good luck, sir." He saluted them both and the Doctor said sharply that he'd not wanted salutes. Mace merely said with a blank expression, "Now you're giving orders." Without another word, he turned and left.

The Doctor grumbled and Jay giggled to herself when he scowled after Mace. The man who'd been left to accompany them - Jenkins, although Jay guessed that was his surname - looked as if he wanted to laugh as well.. He kept it under wraps fairly well. Jay decided then and there that she rather liked Jenkins.

The Doctor shooed them onwards, waving for Jenkins to guide them, and he took the lead. They were just ducking out of the building when a shout for the Doctor had them faltering, looking back. Donna, panting softly for breath, jogged over. "Doctor!" she said, eyes wide, and Jay's delighted smile at the sight of her friend began to fade when she saw the look in those wide eyes.

"Just in time!" the Doctor declared. "Come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses...what more could you want?"

Donna squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I'm not coming with you." The Doctor blinked. "I'm sorry. I've been thinking...I'm sorry, I'm going home."

The Doctor swallowed thickly, looking so disappointed, and all it took was one arched brow on Donna's part for Jay to understand. _Oh_. She wasn't leaving for good - just for the time being. Martha's warning had probably gotten through to her, and she wanted to check in on her family. Understandable. Jay relaxed, even as the Doctor began to speak.

"Well, if that's what you want...I mean, it's a bit soon." He sighed heavily, looking dismayed, and Jay had to hide her mouth behind her hand. Donna was beginning to look more exasperated as he went on. "I mean, it's a bit soon...I had so many places I had wanted to take you...the fifteenth broken moon of the Medusa Cascade...the lightning skies of Cotter Palluni's World...the diamond coral reefs of Kataa Flo Ko." Jenkins had even caught up with what was happening as he looked upon Donna with grim acceptance and was looking the other way to help hide his own amused look.

"Thank you, Donna Noble," the Doctor told her firmly, "It's been brilliant. You've saved my life - many times in so many ways, and-"

Jay couldn't stop herself; she coughed to disguise the laughter, but failed miserably as she tried to blink tears away from her eyes. The Doctor frowned at her, took in her expression, and then looked at Donna, blinking. Understanding dawned and he groaned as Donna rolled her eyes, "You're just popping home for a visit. That's what you mean. And then you're coming right back."

Donna smirked at him, allowing her smirk to appear in full. "You dumbo," she drawled. "No - you know what you are? You're a great big outer-space dunce."

Jay giggled aloud now, and wound her arm through Donna's. "Come on," she said, nodding at Jenkins as he waved to catch their attention. He'd found them a jeep to take out, and it had been brought up and parked close by. "Mr. Jenkins here is going to drive us out to see the creator of ATMOS...want a lift?"

"Please," Donna begged, grimacing at the idea of walking home.

"Call me Ross," Jenkins told them. Ross was kind enough to open the door for them. She and Donna piled into the back seat, and the Doctor let himself into the passenger-side as Ross closed the door behind them. He double-checked everything and then walked around, heaving himself into the driver's side. "What's the address?" he asked Donna, figuring they'd drop her off first.

Donna gave it to him and off they went.

* * *

After dropping Donna off near her home, Ross took Jay and the Doctor to the Rattigan Academy. Jay had swapped with the Doctor when they'd stopped for that brief moment, feeling ill. The Doctor was still looking rather amused nearly ten minutes later. "You're not used to cars, are you?"

"Our cars," Jay said, eyes shut and head resting against the window, "are very different from these, Doctor. For one, it's very hard to find one that touches the ground in my time." She took a deep breath to try and ward off a weird churn in her stomach.

Very aware of the man in the car with them, the Doctor suddenly asked Jay, "How are you feeling otherwise?"

Not opening her eyes, she tapped her elbow. "So long as I avoid running, we have some time. I'm in no danger for the time being." She swallowed thickly, fighting the urge to retch when they went over a bump in the road. Aware that Ross kept throwing them looks, curious about what Jay and the Doctor was talking about, Jay suddenly changed the topic. "Ross. Tell us about this academy we're going to."

The Doctor liked the idea of that and turned to Ross as he began to speak. "Well, UNIT's been watching it for ages. It's all a bit...odd, if you ask me. Exercise at dawn, classes, special diets…" He paused to turn when the ATMOS device in the vehicle ordered him to turn left. He did just that and then glanced over when the Doctor spoke.

"Ross, one question. If UNIT thinks that ATMOS is dodgy-"

"How come we've got it in the jeeps?" Ross snorted softly. "Tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles and we can't get rid of them until we prove something's wrong. Drives me around the bend." He grinned proudly at his own joke as he rounded a curve. The Doctor gave a startled laugh, delighted, and Jay, too ill to care, merely sighed.

The Doctor peered outside at the building they were finally reaching, taking in the size and likely wealth of it. Definitely looked like a place that a child millionaire would call home. He furrowed his brow a little, not entirely sure that he was going to like this genius. Experience told him that he'd not likely be too fond of him, even if he did appreciate someone with a similar ability to understand the world around them.

 _"This is your final destination,"_ reported the navigation system as Ross stopped the jeep. They piled out, Jay looking beyond relieved to be free of the jeep. Rubbing her stomach as if it would help, she looked around and then pointed. "There. Do you think he's the one in the middle?"

The Doctor followed her gaze and found a series of fields with a track rounding it. A group of people all dressed in similar clothes were jogging along with a single figure standing in the center, watching as they went. He frowned.

He was more than certainly not going to enjoy this interaction as much as he had hoped.

They started for the figure, figuring it would be the best place to start even if it wasn't Luke Rattigan. The Doctor was pleased that they wouldn't have to look; when they got closer, it turned out that it was actually Luke. He turned to face them, though his eyes followed the group that was jogging around. Without waiting to be greeted, Luke said curtly, "I suppose you're the Doctor? Your commanding officer called ahead."

"Hello," the Doctor said cheerfully, wiggling his fingers in greeting. He studied the boy with interest. He was still young, and seemed rather arrogant. He'd not yet experienced much in the way of life's hardships. That, combined with money and geniusness...not a good combination. "I haven't got a commanding officer, though. Have you?" Luke ignored him. "These are Ross and Jay, by the way. Say hello, you two."

Ross inclined his head. "Afternoon, sir."

"Hi," Jay said awkwardly and then squawked when the Doctor took off for the large building without permission. She hurried after him and Luke, who shot after the Doctor like a rocket, as if worried. Ross sighed as he started after them, doubting Mace would like it if he let the Doctor disappear on him.

The Doctor made it to the academy's building in record timing, striding fearlessly through the doors. "Look at _this_!" he declared. He looked over his shoulder as he was joined by the others. "Let's have a good look, shall we? I can smell genius!" He paused. "In a good way."

Jay sighed softly under her breath, mentally preparing herself for the rude jabs that she could feel were going to come soon. Luke scoffed in irritation, but followed when the Doctor led them into a room that was full of students. Jay took a quick look around at the work they were doing, interested. Some of them were familiar, those experiments. She could recognize hints of what would eventually be thrown into rockets.

The Doctor looked as if he'd walked into an amusement park full of his deepest desires. "That's clever! Look!" He snapped his glasses out of his pocket and threw them on his face, crouching to peer closely at fabric laid out on a table. "Single molecule fabric! You could pack a tent in a thimble!" He whirled away, bouncing. "And gravity simulators! Terraforming, biospheres, nano-tech steel constructs!" He spun on his heel to face them, breathless. Jay stared at him in exasperation.

"Do you know," the Doctor said, and Jay knew immediately that he was making a point now, especially as he came to stand close to Luke, looking down at him. "With equipment like this...you could...oh, I don't know, move to another planet or something?"

Luke smirked a little, as if he knew something the Doctor didn't. "If only that were possible."

Jay caught on immediately; it was likely what he was doing then. Especially as the Doctor echoed him. He removed the glasses perched on his nose and stared Luke down with a harsh look that made Luke scowl. "If only that were possible," he echoed. "Conditional clause."

Turning away, as if fighting the urge to punch the Time Lord, Luke said, "I think you better come with me." He didn't wait, merely left and left the rest of them to follow if they wanted - as if he expected for his orders to be followed. Jay exchanged a quick look with Ross, feeling just as lost as the UNIT soldier. The Doctor nodded when she looked at him for guidance, and they did as Luke had ordered: they followed him, left with no other good choice.

Luke guided them to a massive room that looked as if it was for entertainment. It was piled with a variety of things, including a ping pong table, and Jay eyed it with distaste, not entirely fond of how white and ridiculously clean the room was. A rather odd thing in the corner caught her eye, however, and she narrowed her eyes at it.

"You're smarter than the usual UNIT grunts," Luke said, eyes watching them like a hawk. "I'll give you that."

The Doctor wandered off to explore the corners of the room like a curious toddler, calling over his shoulder, "He called you a grunt, Ross! Don't call Ross a grunt. He's nice. We like Ross! Right, Jay?" Jay nodded when he glanced at her. She flashed a faint smile at the amused Ross and then focused again as Luke huffed, "What do you want?"

"I was just thinking," the Doctor said as he came to a stop, investigating a pile of what looked to be abandoned experiments. "What a responsible thing for an eighteen year old. Inventing zero carbon cars? Saving the world?"

Luke shifted nervously. "Takes a man with vision."

"Mm," hummed the Doctor. "Blinking vision. 'Cause ATMOS means more people driving, more cars, more petrol...end result? The oil's going to run out faster than ever. The ATMOS system could make things worse rather than better."

"Yeah," Luke quickly said, voice hasty and rushed, "that's a tautology. You can't say 'ATMOS system' since it stands for 'atmospheric emissions system.' So, you're just saying 'atmospheric emissions system system.' Do you see, Mr. Conditional Clause?"

Jay took on a new dislike for Luke Rattigan and said with a wrinkled nose, studying him mindlessly, "No one ever really says no to you, do they, Mr. Rattigan?"

He gave her a dirty look and then focused back on the Doctor as if Jay was nothing to him. Jay sighed softly, remembering how it had been with Lazarus and other such smart, clever people. She wasn't clever like them and they tended to not see people who weren't on their level. She was used to it; still, rather annoying.

The Doctor looked as if he didn't appreciate Luke doing so. "Not easy, is it?" The Doctor's eyes burned with something Jay couldn't place. "Being clever. You look at the world and you connect things - random things. And you think, 'Why can't anyone else see it?' The rest of the world is so slow, and you're all on your own."

"Yeah." Luke cleared his throat, caught off guard by the honest words the Doctor had spouted off - as if they were entirely correct regarding his way of thinking. He shifted again. "I know."

And then the Doctor switched from serious to bouncy again, as if he had nothing to worry about in the world. "But not with this!" he said, whipping the ATMOS device Martha had brought him earlier out of his pocket. Ross and Jay stared at him, wondering where he'd managed to keep that because surely, even a Time Lord's pockets couldn't hold such a thing.

"There's no way you invented this thing single handed," continued the Doctor. He waved it a bit in the air. "I mean, sure, Earth technology. But that's like finding a mobile phone in the Middle Ages." He flashed Jay a grin, as if reminding her that they'd been there, and Jay's lips twitched. "No, no," the Doctor said, tossing the device to her. She snagged it, nearly dropping it in surprise. "I'll tell you what it's like! It's like finding this in the middle of someone's front room."

He turned all of his attention onto that odd object Jay had spotted in the corner. It looked like a strangely-crafted isolation area, like a reading nook with no books and meant to cause pain. Jay eyed it suspiciously. "What is it?" Ross asked after a moment.

"Looks like a thing, doesn't it?" the Doctor mused. "People don't question things, they just say, 'Oh, it's a thing!'" He strode over to it and Luke darted after him, frantically trying to stop him as the Doctor stepped right on inside, smirking over his shoulder. "Me, Luke? I make these connections, and this, to me, looks like…" The Doctor slammed a palm atop a massive button on the side of the "thing." "...a teleport pod."

"Doctor!" Jay yelped in alarm when he disappeared entirely. Ross blinked, surprised, and Luke scowled, furious with what had happened. Jay glared at the teleport pod and snapped under her breath, "Always doing things like this...God!"

"This is normal?" questioned Ross, glancing at her, and Jay nodded.

"Stupidly normal," she grumbled. She puffed some hair from her eyes. She supposed the only thing she could do was-

The Doctor appeared again in a small flash, already running. Jay took one look at the expression on his face and knew trouble was coming. He spun around, sonic screwdriver already raised as there was another flash and a figure appeared. The sonic screwdriver's buzzing filled the air and sparks flew. The Doctor had disabled the teleport pod, and now stood before the trio of humans, ready to defend them. Jay didn't miss how Luke rolled his eyes.

The figure - an alien, if its appearance was anything to go by - didn't look impressed. Jay didn't know what else to compare it to outside of a potato of some sorts. It was bald, rather short - fairly close to her height, to be honest. It wore what appeared to be a suit of armor-like substance, and it glared at them with hatred, a device at the ready in its hands.

Keeping the sonic screwdriver aloft, the Doctor said quickly, "Sontaran!" It lifted its weapon and Jay flinched. Ross immediately had his own gun at the ready in preparation for what was happening. The Doctor pushed on quickly, refusing to let the Sontaran silence him. "That's your name, isn't it? You're a Sontaran. How did I know that, eh? Fascinating, isn't it? Isn't that worth keeping me alive?"

"I order you," Ross interjected with the gun held level at the Sontaran, "to surrender in the name of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce." He looked ready to do what needed to be done, but there was a look in his eye that told Jay he'd not seen an alien before. Not a true alien, like the Sontaran. The Doctor didn't count - he looked like them.

"Well," said the Doctor, somewhat amused, "that's not going to work. Cordelaine signal, if I'm right. Copper excitation stops the bullets."

"How do you know so much?" barked the Sontaran. It turned its attention upon Luke, who didn't seem the list bit concerned by the sight of it. "Who is he?"

"He didn't give his name," Luke admitted, and the Sontaran seemed very unhappy about such a matter, eyeing the Doctor with suspicion.

The Doctor took this declaration in stride and challenged, "This isn't typical Sontaran behavior, is it? Hiding? Using teenagers, stopping bullets? A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity! Shame on you!" He kept a sharp eye on the Sontaran alone despite feeling a bit worried about the fact that Luke was involved. Ross and Jay were there, though. They'd help keep an eye on him. "What's your name?"

"General Staal of the Tenth Sontaran Fleet. Staal the Undefeated!" declared the Sontaran. The Doctor smirked a little, as if he'd just recognized ammunition to use against someone in the form of words.

"That's not a very good nickname," he said mockingly. "What if you get defeated? Staal the "Not-Quite-So-Undefeated-Anymore-But-Never-Mind?"

"Rude," muttered Jay even as she hid a small laugh behind a cough, earning a glare from Staal. That glare turned viciously onto Ross when Ross commented that Staal looked like a large, walking, talking baked potato.

The Doctor looked fairly amused with Ross's comment, even as he scolded lightly, "Now, Ross, don't be so rude. To him, you three look like a pink weasel to him." He sauntered away without a lick of concern about what was going on. His eyes skimmed the room until he found something useful. He scooped up a tennis racket and a tennis ball and then began to play with them, bouncing the ball on the racket without paying it too much attention. "The Sontarans are the finest soldiers in the galaxy. Dedicated to a life of warfare."

 _In other words,_ Jay quietly noted, _not his favorite race of aliens._

"A clone race," he continued, still bouncing the tennis ball on the racket. "Grown in batches of millions with only one weakness."

Staal was immediately offended by the comment and seemed to bristle, glaring at the Doctor. "Sontarans have no weakness! We stare into the face of death!"

"It's a good weakness," the Doctor protested, and Luke turned to give him an exasperated look.

"Aren't you meant to be clever?" challenged Luke, narrowing his eyes in disbelief. He couldn't believe that the man before him would do something so ridiculously stupid as challenge a Sontaran. "Only an idiot would provoke him."

"Says the one who thought it smart to work alongside them," Jay said under her breath, earning an exceptionally angry look from Luke. The Doctor didn't bother to warn her off; instead, he kept his gaze on the Sontaran and said otherwise.

"Jay," he said, and she focused on him. "Do you know how they're fed? A probic vent in the back of their neck. It's their weak spot." Important information for future reference, Jay realized and nodded to show she was listening even though he'd not looked at her. "Which means they always have to face their enemies in battle...brilliant, isn't it? They can never turn their backs!"

Without prompting, he suddenly tossed the tennis ball skyward. He hit at as hard as he could with the racket, aiming carefully. The ball flew through the air and struck the back of the teleport pod before flying back - straight into Staal. "Run!" the Doctor shouted as the Sontaran collapsed with a gasp. Luke flew to Staal's side rather than away as Ross, Jay, and the Doctor all rushed from the room.

Ross looked stunned as they flew through the academy and out the front door. Jay tripped on the front steps and the Doctor paused briefly to help her catch her balance before pushing her towards the jeep. Ross was already in the driver's seat by the time they reached it. The Doctor threw open the back door and clambered in, whirling around once he was in to help drag Jay in. The jeep was moving before they'd even closed the door entirely. Heaving for air, Jay and the Doctor stared at one another. And then they gave matching, breathless smiles. "Alright?" he asked her as he clambered into the front seat with Ross.

"Yep," she answered, slumping comfortably into a seat. "What about you, Mr. Jenkins?"

"Ross," he corrected, "and completely fine, Miss O'Connors."

"Jay. Call me Jay." Jay swallowed to try and soothe her suddenly dry throat before saying, "Should I call Martha?"

"I've got a radio," he offered and handed the speaker to the Doctor when the Time Lord held his hand out impatiently.

The Doctor took it tightly in his fingers and lifted it to his mouth. "Greyhound Forty to Trap One," he said into it, listening intently. "Can you hear me? Over." When nothing came, he tried again. "Repeat! Can you hear me? Over."

"I don't think they can," said Jay when there was no response. The Doctor frowned in agreement and put the radio away, sinking back with a worried expression. "Is it the Sontarans, Doctor? If they helped with ATMOS, then they must be able to maneuver enough to isolate the one in the jeep. They had plenty of time to figure out which jeep we have."

 _"Turn left,"_ instructed the navigation system, as if to confirm what they were saying.

The Doctor sat up again. _Not good._ "Ross, try going right." Ross tried, and then suddenly gasped, lifting his hands away from the wheel. "I've got no control. It's driving itself, it won't stop!"

 _Not good,_ the Doctor thought again. He whipped his sonic screwdriver out again and scanned the system as best as he could with the jeep roaring and bumping along. When it picked up speed, Ross tried the doors as he did so, declaring them locked. "It's deadlocked!" the Doctor reported a moment later, "I can't stop it!"

The jeep took a sharp corner and sent them careening to the side. Jay squawked as she nearly toppled across the seat. Her eyes darted this way and that, trying to figure out a solution when Ross announced, "We're heading for the river!"

"Hold on," she muttered and lurched forward, grabbing each front seat with white knuckles. The Doctor glanced up at her, confused. "It responds, right? The ATMOS is voice-activated?"

"Yes," said Ross hastily, bewildered as to where this was going. He stared in near terror at the water ahead of them,

"ATMOS!" Jay cried, "Are you programmed to contradict orders right now?"

 _"Confirmed."_

Jay gave the two men in the vehicle a wild grin. "Drive into the river!" she exclaimed, earning a horrified look from Ross and a delighted smile from the Doctor as he realized what she was doing. "Drive right into that water for me!"

The jeep lurched to a sudden stop a mere breath away from the water. The system seemed to short out and sparked, and Jay lunged for the door, laughing when she found it unlocked. "Out!" she cried. "We can get out!" She threw the door open, her fingers shaking a little as she lurched out. Ross and the Doctor were only a second behind her as the ATMOS system began to rant off a series of instructions, voice getting higher and higher.

Jay only hesitated to make sure the Doctor was behind her before flat out running from the vehicle, a gasp in her throat. "Get down!" the Doctor shouted to Ross, suddenly hurling himself at the ground when the voice just began screeching. Jay went down a few feet away, instinctively covering her head. Ross had just barely done the same when there was a rather loud but small blast from the vehicle.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder with care and took in the size of it before pouting a little. "Was that it?" he complained.

Ross threw him a wide-eyed look as he shoved himself to his knees. "Wasn't that enough?"

Jay, swinging her legs around so that she sat criss-cross snorted softly. "That's pretty small compared to what we usually see, actually." She flashed Ross a grin when he looked at her in shock, seeming confused as to why she wasn't more scared than she was. She winked. "Things usually go - well, boom."

The Doctor chuckled as he climbed to his feet. He extended a hand to Ross to pull him to his feet and then to Jay, who took it without a moment's hesitation. "I think we need to get a better look at how ATMOS works in a car without being inside...Donna knew what it was. I bet her family's car will have it...good thing the Noble residence isn't too far from here!"

"We've never been there. How do you know where the Noble residence is?" demanded Jay, confused.

He waved her off and said, "I dropped Donna off the first time we met. _Allons-y_ , Jay!"

She sighed as he took off at a brisk pace and grudgingly followed, Ross falling into step beside her.

* * *

It took them some time to get to the Noble residence despite what the Doctor said. He beamed when they reached it and said, eyeing a blue car that Jay recognized as the Nobles', "Why don't you go get Donna? I'll get started here." He pointed to a house.

"I'll go requisition us a vehicle," said Ross, turning and jogging off with a wave over his shoulder at Jay. She cast him a grin. She liked Ross, she realized. She liked Ross a _lot_.

"Anything without ATMOS!" the Doctor shouted after him, popping the hood of the car without concern for what the Nobles would think. "And don't point your gun at people!"

Jay shook her head and then left him to it, intent on getting Donna. The Doctor was in a frenzy, and it always was useful to have help when he was like this. Donna was particularly good at making him pay attention to his surroundings and the people within them. She hesitantly approached the house that the Doctor had indicated, hoping she hadn't gotten the wrong house, and paused at the front door. Finally, she just sighed and knocked sharply and loudly. If it was the wrong house, she'd just apologize and ask for the right one. It definitely was Donna's car out front though, so there was hope there.

Footsteps could be heard just a few moments before the door opened. Jay laughed in relief at the sight of a startled Donna Noble, her lips parting a little in surprise. "Donna!" she exclaimed.

"Jay!" Donna gasped in response, wide-eyed. "What are you doing here? I thought you and the Doctor went to that academy he kept going on about?"

"We did and we came back," Jay said with a shrug, pointing to where the Doctor was already picking apart the Nobles' car. "Long story short, ATMOS is bad and some aliens called the Sontarans are behind it. Also, the Doctor's messing with your car and wants you for something."

Donna puffed up irritably and stormed past Jay, heading right towards the Time Lord. Jay closed the door behind her and bustled along after her, worried that she'd give the Doctor a good whack or something similar when she doubted they had the time for it. "Donna," she protested. "What are you-"

"Oi!" Donna snapped. "Spaceman! Don't you know to ask before messing with things like that?"

The Doctor glanced up but didn't stop what he was doing, his sonic screwdriver's familiar buzzing loud in the air. "Jay, give Donna the phone Martha gave you," he ordered. Jay blinked but did as he said. Donna scowled as she took it, annoyed, but understanding that they didn't have time for her to give him a good rant like she tended to do. She took the phone from Jay, balancing it carefully in her hand. "Call Martha, would you?"

Jay looked somewhat annoyed with him now, too. "I could have called her."

"Not quickly enough."

Donna rolled her eyes as Jay glowered at him, offended, but skimmed through the contacts - which she realized the Doctor had altered and added various numbers, too, since it had belonged to Martha - and then called Martha herself. Phone to her ear, she watched as the Doctor straightened, rubbing his head anxiously as if he'd found nothing useful. Grumbling, he turned to Jay. "Hold this for me," he said, handing her something from within the car. She held it closely, confused, and watched as he plunged his hands back into the inside of the car.

"Is it him?" a voice suddenly called. "Is it him? Is it the Doctor?" Jay glanced up in time to see an older man round the side of the car. He had shrunk a bit with age, his white hair like freshly fallen snow. Wide blue eyes studied them and his breath rushed out sharply when he stopped to stare at Jay in turn - and then the Doctor.

The man gave a cry. "You! It's _you_!"

"Who?" said the Doctor as Jay sputtered, staring at the man in return. He glanced up and the pair looked at the old man in confusion as he pointed at them, his face full of disbelief.

"It's you!" he said in response, gaping. He couldn't believe the fact that the man they'd met on Earth from their time on the _Titanic_ was standing before him - nor could Jay, who was blinking rapidly. "Both of you! What are _you_ doing here?"

"Wait," said Donna, lowering the phone and snapping it shut. She looked between the three in complete confusion. "Have you met before?"

The old man beamed, looking beyond excited as he scurried over. "Christmas Eve! They disappeared right in front of me!"

"And you _never said_?" cried Donna, furious. She'd looked for the Doctor for so long, and here stood who Jay assumed to be her grandfather, having met him completely unintentionally after all of her searching for the daft spaceman?!

"You never said," he retorted, and the Doctor smiled a little. It was easy to see which side of the family Donna's sass came from… "Wilf, sir," the old man told him, "Wilfred Mott. You two must be aliens?"

"Well," said the Doctor pleasantly, shaking Wilf's hand when he offered it. "I am. Don't shout it out, mind you. It's nice to meet you properly, Wilf."

"I'm not an alien," added Jay when she shook Wilf's hand as well. "Just human, with a bit extra mixed in, I suppose." While Wilf excitedly milled over the fact that he'd gotten to shake the hand of an alien, the Doctor chuckling to himself, Jay turned on Donna. "Anything from Martha?" she asked hopefully, worried about her friend.

"She's not answering," admitted Donna. She moved a little bit closer to Jay, watching the Doctor and her grandfather closely as she asked, "Sontarans you said?" Jay nodded and Donna frowned, not able to recognize the name. They weren't something the trio had run into until this moment.

"Sontarans," confirmed the Doctor, frowning at the fact that Martha hadn't answered the phone. With Sontarans about, he hoped she wasn't in any danger. She was with UNIT, which had dozens of men and women ready for anything about though. She'd be alright...he hoped. "There's got to be more to it, they can't be just...remote controlling cars. That's not enough."

A beep signaled the ringing of a phone quite suddenly, and Donna handed the phone to the Doctor when he held his hand out. He picked up and met Jay's worried gaze briefly before focusing on what he was going to say to his friend. "Martha!" he said after she'd greeted him. "Tell Colonel Mace it's the Sontarans. They're in the file. Code Red Sontarans. But if they're inside the factory, tell them not to start shooting, do you hear me? UNIT would be massacred. I'll get back as soon as possible."

 _"Code Red Sontarans,"_ she answered and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, getting an off feeling. Something wasn't right. _"Gotcha."_ She hung up without another word and he thought his bad feeling might have been confirmed.

Something was very, very wrong with Martha Jones. But he didn't have the ability to investigate that for the time being. Instead, he needed to focus on the matter at hand: figuring out what other things the Sontarans were up to. The three with him kept back, letting him work in peace. Jay relayed the events of the academy to Donna, who was staring at them in exasperation. She'd been gone less than a few hours. Heavens above.

"The thing is," Wilf said suddenly, interrupting the conversation and focusing his attention on Jay, "Donna is my only grandchild, dear. Can you and the Doctor promise me you'll take care of her?"

Donna protested, but Jay only gave him a warm smile. "She takes care of us," she told him. "And she helps me take extra care of him, since he can't do it for himself."

"I heard that!" called the Doctor, not looking up from his work. He hissed when something in the car sparked at his fingers.

"That's my Donna," Wilf chuckled proudly, giving Donna a fond smile. "She was always bossing us around when she was tiny. The Little General, we used to call her." Jay giggled at the look on Donna's face, smiling warmly at Wilf. She was finding that she rather liked Wilf. He was nice enough, warm and very much someone Jay wished she'd had during her childhood. "And some of the boys she used to turn up with...a different one every week! Who was that one with the nail varnish, Donna?"

Donna turned a little pink and Jay giggled at her response. "Matthew Richards. He lives in Kilbourn now - with a _man_."

"Oh!" the Doctor suddenly gasped, ripping his hand away. He shook it away from the device he'd been fidgeting with and flashed the three a grin when they looked over. Jay and Donna looked concerned; Wilf was merely curious. "A temporal pocket. I knew there was something else in there. It's hidden just a second out of sync with real time."

Whatever that meant, Jay thought to herself before looking over when a ranting voice began to fill their ears. Wilf and Donna both winced, recognizing it, and the Doctor, not wanting to get involved with what was going to happen now, hid in the car again, as if he knew what he was doing. Jay arched a brow. _Coward_.

"Men and their cars!" ranted a woman. Her hair was a faded blonde streaked with silver, her aging face set in a perpetually unhappy look. "Sometimes, I think if I were a car...oh, my _God_!" she gasped, pointing at the Doctor. "It's you! Doctor...what was it?"

"What, have you met him as well?" asked Wilf, blinking a few times.

"Dad!" cried the woman, flailing her hands a little. "That's the man from the wedding! When you were laid up with the flu! I'm warning you," she told Donna, jabbing a finger hatefully in the Doctor's direction, "Last time that man turned up, it was a disaster, and-"

"Back up!" the Doctor suddenly shouted, springing back. A cloud of white smoke had started to escape the ATMOS device, reeling back. He retreated some distance, pushing the four that were watching back as well. Wilf stumbled a bit, although Jay was quick to help him catch his balance.

"Thanks," the older man said happily, smiling kindly at her, and Jay returned it without a moment's hesitation, finding herself incredibly fond of him. Donna and her mother peered nervously at the car as the Doctor used the sonic screwdriver on the ATMOS, narrowing his eyes a little.

"I told you!" said Sylvia irritably as she looked at the smoke. "He's blown up the car! Who is he anyway? What sort of doctor blows up cars?" Donna groaned, demanding her mother quiet down, and Sylvia bristled at her. "Should I make an appointment?" she demanded sarcastically before turning and marching angrily back towards the house.

The gas and smoke eventually stopped. The Doctor waved a moment, waving the gas away from his face, and then carefully approached the vehicle again. "That wasn't just exhaust fumes...some sort of artificial gas."

As Wilf excitedly began to demand if it was aliens, Donna exchanged a worried look with Jay and then returned her gaze to the Doctor. "But...if it's poisonous, then we've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth."

Wilf stopped his rant at that and then made a hasty decision. "If it's poisonous then it's not safe. I'm gonna get the car off the street."

"Mr. Mott, don't," Jay protested, trying to stop him with a hand on his wrist, but he pulled free and clambered into the driver's seat as Donna and the Doctor frowned at the ATMOS system the Doctor had been playing with. He had just barely settled into the seat when the doors slammed shut. Jay stared; Wilf hadn't so much as touched the door, nor had the three of them. "Doctor-"

He darted forward with a wide-eyed look as the locks suddenly clicked into place, the car turning on. "Granddad!" Donna cried as she threw herself at the door, yanking at it. Smoke poured from the exhaust pipe. "Turn it off!" she shouted through the window. "Turn it _off_! Get out!"

"I can't!" Wilf shouted, voice muffled by the window. "It's not locked!" He showed them the keys still in his hand and Donna's face paled with fear. "It's them aliens again!"

Sylvia, having heard the commotion, turned around to look from the path that would lead to the front door of her home. "What's he doing?" she demanded, voice rising in alarm when she realized there was trouble. "What's he done?"

"Doctor, what do we do?" Jay demanded, prying at another door's handle to try and get it open. "What's going on?"

He stared at the car in shock, as if unable to believe what he was seeing. "They've activated it," he said blankly, confused, and then leaped into action. He spun around, pushing Donna out of the way. She let him, coughing against the smoke and sobbing quietly under her breath. Jay took a tight hold of her arm, squeezing in reassurance. The Doctor tried to use his sonic screwdriver to free the lock, and when that didn't work, he dove for the ATMOS itself.

Donna banged a hand on the window, tears streaming down her face. "Granddad!" she cried when he coughed weakly, slumped against the window. "Doctor, get it open!"

Jay bit her lip, unsure of what she could do to help before suddenly taking notice that another car further down the street was smoking, too. She turned on her heel to look in the direction of the city they'd come from and felt something in her chest drop.

She watched as the city vanished in a cloud of smoke and fumes.

* * *

 _Yay! Managed another one! I was going to do another original chapter, but I put it off for further into Donna's season. I've got two originals planned, one of which is based off of one of my favorite Greek myths, so I'm very excited._

 _Thanks to reviewers_ _(bored411, brmngirl, sorosegarden(chapters 1 & 9), and Purplestan (chapter1))! and those who favorited and followed!_


	21. The Poison Sky

Jay hovered a few feet away from the car, her hands trembling and her eyes uncertain as the Doctor flew between the window Wilf was nearly unconscious against and the actual ATMOS device, unable to figure out where he was needed most. If he shut the ATMOS off, then Wilf would be safe, but how long did he have to do that when Wilf was choking to death?

Donna was sobbing, her fingers pressed to the glass. "He's gonna choke!" she cried, and the Doctor threw her a frantically apologetic look because he was _trying_ , but he wasn't sure they'd be able to help Wilf at this point. Apology turned to startled shock, however, and Jay squawked when she was knocked aside by a rushing Sylvia, who hoisted a semi-large axe into the air without comment and slammed it into the windshield. She hit it again and again until the glass finally shattered.

Silence fell, except for soft coughing on Wilf's part. The Doctor, Donna, and Jay all gaped at the woman, who merely glared back at them and nearly snarled, "Well, don't just _stand_ there! Get my father out!"

Jay dove for the car, not hesitating to slam the hood shut. She nearly caught the Doctor's hands, and he ripped them back just in time. She clambered onto it, ignoring the glass that raked at her skin and drew blood as she leaned in and gripped Wilf's arms gently. "Come on," she murmured, "out you go."

Weakly but with determination, Wilf climbed out with Jay's help and Donna and Sylvia were there to catch him as he slid down the front of the car. His knees buckled a little, but he looked more lively as he said tiredly, "Thanks."

"No problem," said Jay, sliding down beside him and glancing to the Doctor when he tugged at his hair in frustration, glaring around at all of the cars spewing ATMOS.

"I can't believe," gasped Donna, coughing herself, "that you've got an axe!"

"Burglars!' cried Sylvia as if it were obvious, trying to herd her father towards the house when the Doctor told her to get inside and seal off the doors and windows. The Doctor turned his attention back on the car for only a moment before giving up. Instead, he looked up as a taxi cab suddenly screeched to a halt beside them. Ross leaned out the open window, his face grim and serious.

"Ross!" Jay greeted with a relieved smile.

He smiled back faintly and then said, "Doctor! This is all I could find that hasn't got ATMOS."

"That should work," said the Doctor, bolting for the vehicle. If something couldn't be done here, something could be done back at the factory - or at the Rattigan Academy. He threw the door open and clambered into the backseat, not wanting to take the time to run around the other side. "Donna!" he shouted as Jay climbed in after him. He pressed back to give her room to climb past him and then into the passenger seat from the inside. "You coming?"

Donna glanced back from where she'd been watching her mother and grandfather. "Yeah!" she said, deciding her help might be useful.

Sylvia snapped her head around. "Donna," she protested, worried, "don't go! Look what happens every time that Doctor appears! Please, stay with us. _Please_!"

Donna bit her lip guiltily but continued back towards the cab, especially as Wilf in a small surge of recovering strength pushed forward and cried, "You go, my darling, don't listen to her! You go with them aliens." Donna met his gaze, uncertain, and he gave her a warm smile as the Doctor shouted for Donna again. Donna nodded curtly. She turned and sprinted for the cab, slamming the door shut behind her and within seconds, the car was off.

Wilf was confident that his granddaughter's place was with the Doctor and his small blonde companion - whether Sylvia liked it or not.

* * *

As the cab rumbled along a road, Jay reached back and touched Donna's arm comfortingly. "They'll be okay," she promised with a gentle smile. "We're going to make sure of it."

Donna took a deep breath and chased away her worries and fears. "I know."

* * *

With Ross driving at high speeds, they reached the factory in record timing. The taxi had barely rolled to a stop when the three travelers flew from it. Jay and Donna paused to wait for the Doctor turned to address Ross through the cracked window. "Ross, look after yourself and get inside the building."

"Will do," Ross promised, and the Doctor threw him an incredibly proud smile before turning his attention on his companions. He gave them a once over, concerned. Donna had a hand over her mouth and was coughing, eyes watering, but Jay looked perfectly fine, her breathing regular. A frown encompassed his face when Donna complained that the air was disgusting.

"It's not so bad for me," he admitted, "so go on, get inside the TARDIS. Both of you. Air will be clear in there." He paused when she blinked in surprise. "I've never given you a key!" He shifted through a pocket. Within moments, the Doctor had found what he'd been looking for. He produced a TARDIS key and pushed it into her hands. A beaming smile appeared. "Go on," he encouraged, "that's yours. Quite a big moment really."

"Yeah," Donna seethed heavily, coughing. "Let's get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death!"

Jay cleared her throat awkwardly, not sure how to address the matter. "I don't...I'm completely fine. I don't find it hard to breathe." She ran her fingers over her arm, prodding at where the black veins resided. She was willing to bet it was those. "Can I come with you, Doctor?"

The Doctor debated, not entirely sure he liked the idea. It would be safer in the TARDIS. So, the Doctor shook his head. "Stay with Donna," he said firmly. Maybe she felt fine, but what if it furthered whatever the process was? "I'll be fine. I'm going to go and stop a war." He turned on his heel and ran off without pausing to see what they thought of the matter.

Jay huffed in frustration but turned to Donna. "Come on," she said. "To the TARDIS then." She took Donna's shoulder gently in her hand and pushed her in the direction of the time machine they called home. They meandered with ease to where she'd been left, finding her just where they'd left her in an alleyway. She smiled broadly when the TARDIS hummed upon them reaching her.

Donna unlocked the door for the pair and said firmly as she did so, "I'm sure the idiot will be here soon. Right?"

"Right," confirmed Jay, stepping in after Donna. The TARDIS hummed a second time as she kicked the door shut behind her, rubbing Donna's back soothingly as Donna doubled over, coughing and struggling to drag in good air. She didn't understand the struggling; she felt fine, but chose not to say anything. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."

He'd need the TARDIS, she was sure, for something or another.

Jay walked to the console and ran her fingers over it, remembering how just hours before she'd been driving the TARDIS with Donna, and then settled into the captain's seat, yawning. Donna followed her, leaning against the console. "So that was Martha?" Donna said hoarsely. "The Martha you talk about?"

"Mhm," Jay murmured. "She's a good friend of ours." She hoped Martha was okay in all of this - as well as her family. She'd gotten to know them well on her time aboard the _Valiant_. At least they'd been recovering well enough before this disaster around them…

Jay leaned forward in her seat, her gaze skimming and scanning the TARDIS almost desperately. Surely there was something they could do to help from in _here_ …

Doubtful, she supposed with a heavy sigh. The Doctor would have likely made it the case that they couldn't do anything. Just to ensure that they were safe - something that drove Jay up the wall on a normal day and even more so when there was trouble afoot. She fidgeted, eyeing the doors. "...I'm going out," she said firmly, shooting to her feet. She couldn't just sit there. Not when people could be dying. "Whatever that smoke is, it doesn't hurt me. Right? I could be even more helpful than some of the others…"

"He told us to stay here," Donna pointed out although she didn't look as if she fully agreed with the decision in itself. "But he does get himself into a lot of trouble...let's go." Jay grinned proudly at her, and together, they both started walking for the doors. They'd only been in there minutes, enough time to give the Doctor a head start, but that would still give them some time to catch up-

They'd barely made it a few steps before there was a sudden jerk. Jay yelped, narrowly catching herself on the console. She winced at the sting of pain in her hip where it struck the console. She blinked, looking over to check on Donna, who'd also tripped, but caught herself. She clung to a piece of railing with confused eyes. "What the hell?" whispered Jay.

Donna hesitated and then tiptoed over to the doors. Jay watched her, anxious as she peeked out. When Donna yanked back inside and hastily closed the doors, latching them behind her, Jay demanded, "What? Donna, what is it?"

Slowly, the older companion turned to look at Jay. She pressed her back to the doors, looking scared. "I don't think," she said faintly, her voice still hoarse from the odd smoke that had filled the air all over Earth. "We're...well, we're not where we were. I think we're on a _spaceship_. Full...full of _potato men_."

 _Sontarans._ Jay stared at her and then groaned, smacking a hand to her forehead. "We should have gone with the Doctor," she sighed.

Donna mutely nodded in agreement.

* * *

The Doctor burst into the busy command area, his eyes narrowing as he locked them on Mace. "Right then!" he burst out, heaving for air and catching the attention of everyone in the room. They all paused, caught off guard by the sudden explosive appearance of the Time Lord. "Here I am! Whatever you do, Colonel Mace, do not engage the Sontarans in battle. There is nothing they like better than a war. Leave it to me."

Mace blinked, startled. Frowning at the Doctor, he asked, "And what are you going to do?"

"I've got the TARDIS," the Doctor said rather smugly. _With two companions on board, hopefully._ If they'd done what he'd told them to do. "I'm going to get aboard their ship." He beamed as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do. He caught sight of Martha, seated nearby. She looked almost like he'd left her, her wide brown eyes staring at him. He tipped his head a fraction, studying her. Something was off with his friend. She wasn't entirely right. There were a few differences that he could see in her appearance and he wrinkled his nose when a distinct odd smell he doubted the humans could smell came from her. Still, he cried, forcing himself to keep up the same level of energy as before, "Come on, Martha!"

He took off at a sprint, and was amused when she kept up with him. Right or not, he had missed his friend. He knew Jay had, too, and that after all of the danger was gone and they left, she'd be just as sad as the first time they'd left Martha. The Doctor made a mental note to take she and Donna somewhere particularly special after this. Somewhere pleasant and beautiful, with good food and pleasant company.

He wove through halls until they were outside, not slowing his stride until they ducked into the alley he'd left the TARDIS. Only then did he suddenly stop dead. Martha bumped into him, yelping softly, but the Doctor payed her no mind as he strode forward, smacking his tongue in somewhat frustration. Martha stayed where she was for a moment before slowly making her way over. "Where's the TARDIS?"

"Taste that," said the Doctor, poking his tongue out. "Blegh. Metal tang. Teleport exchange...it's the Sontarans," he breathed, looking disappointed. He hid his anger well as he looked around, as if the TARDIS would materialize out of nowhere. "They've taken it. I'm stuck, on Earth. Like an ordinary person. Like...like a _human_. How rubbish is that?"

Martha didn't seem to care for the rude comment. Normally, such a comment would have earned him a rather aggressive look, or a reprimand. Instead, all she asked was, "What do we do?"

"I mean," said the Doctor, thinking over what he could do without earning suspicion on Martha's part, "it's shielded, so they could never detect it." Which also meant Donna and Jay would be safe if they remained inside - until he could find a way to help them get out of their current situation, of course. "I'm just wondering," he continued after studying Martha closely. "Have you called your family and Tom?"

Martha blinked, looking confused by his suggestion. "No. What for?"

His stomach twisted. Something was _definitely_ wrong. Feeling terrible for not being there for Martha, wherever the real Martha might be, for he knew that this wasn't her, he said pointedly, "The Gas. Tell them to stay inside."

She shook her head a little, as if she'd forgotten entirely. "Of _course_ I will," she said firmly, "but I mean, what about Donna? And Jay? Where are they?"

"Donna went home," he lied immediately, not wanting to give her the truth. Who knew what this fake Martha was up to? Vowing to help the true Martha, he continued, "She's not a soldier. Not like you. Jay...Jay went with her to make sure she was safe. I promised to pick her up when I could. I was about to, but since the TARDIS is gone…" He pretended to shake off his worry and grinned. "Anyways, _allons-y_!"

The Doctor turned on his heel and strode swiftly for UNIT's temporary headquarters. He'd find Martha, he decided. And deal with the Sontarans, and UNIT, and the missing TARDIS and companions, and he'd do it in whatever order it presented itself.

But he'd get it _all_ done and he would not miss one step. Too much was at risk at the moment, and he didn't like that at all.

The Doctor lead the way back to where he'd dragged Martha out of, taking in all of the people and the screens pleasant. "Change of plans!" he called as he entered, and Mace immediately looked back at he and Martha.

"Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor," Mace said, pleased. He smiled broadly, happy to hear such a thing, and the Doctor gave him a look of distaste.

"I'm not fighting," he said sharply. Mace looked both disappointed and rather annoyed with the comment, but the Doctor ignored him and looked at the others around him. "Now," he said, "does anyone know what this gas is yet?"

"We're working on it," Martha said firmly, and the Doctor nodded, not sure if that was entirely true or not.

"It's harmful, but not lethal," another person - a woman with intelligent eyes and a confident manner - said firmly. "Not lethal until it reaches eighty percent density. We're having the first reports of deaths from the center of Tokyo City." She paused when the Doctor studied her with interest. Interest turned to irritation when she saluted him. "Captain Marion Price, sir," she said, introducing herself.

The Doctor grumbled. "Put your hand down," he muttered, shaking his head. "Don't salute." Marion Price dropped her hand, looking flustered.

Mace ignored the interaction entirely and nodded at a large screen displaying information that the Doctor knew they considered to be important. "Jodrell Bank's traced a signal, Doctor. It's coming from five thousand miles above the Earth. We're guessing that's what triggered the cars." The Doctor nodded thoughtfully; that would be the Sontaran ship undoubtedly. ""NATO has gone to Defcon One. We're preparing a strike."

The Doctor snapped his head around. Glaring at Mace, he said sharply, "You can't do that. Nuclear missiles won't even scratch the surface of this issue...of their _ship_! Let me talk to the Sontarans."

"You're not authorized to speak on behalf of the planet," Mace said rather coldly.

The Doctor straightened to his full height, eyes flashing. He couldn't say he was too fond of Colonel Mace. Glaring irritably at the colonel, the Doctor said in an icy tone, "I've got that authority and I earned it a long time ago." He pushed past Mace, ignoring him, and whipped out his sonic screwdriver. The familiar buzzing of the device filled silence that had fallen at their small argument, and he glanced up when he managed to get the UNIT systems connected with those of the Sontarans. "Calling the Sontaran Command Ship under jurisdiction two of the Intergalactic Rules of Engagement. This is the Doctor!"

* * *

Jay had been tapping around on the buttons and switches around the screen attached to the TARDIS console, trying to see if she could somehow get it to send a signal to the Doctor to show him where they were, when the image flickered over it. It lasted for less than a moment, but it was immediately burned into her memory: a girl.

She froze, staring at the sudden fuzzy screen. She'd been pretty, the girl on the screen, with blonde hair and warm, dark eyes. She'd been mouthing something, her face desperate. Jay's lips parted as she stared at the screen, confused. But she was distracted only moments later when the Doctor's voice cut through the air, mid-sentence.

 _"-Rules of Engagement. This is the Doctor!"_

"Doctor?" Donna gasped, snapping around, and Jay moved over so she could look at the screen again. The Doctor's familiar face filled the screen, his dark eyes thoughtful and sharp as he thought over what must have been a thousand things. Donna looked to Jay with hope in her green eyes. "Do you think he can hear us?"

Jay shook her head and shushed her as another voice, this one rather hoarse but strict and authoritative filled the air. It belonged to someone Jay and Donna couldn't see. _"Doctor...breathing your last?"_

 _"My God,"_ said a voice that sounded like Mace from somewhere behind the Time Lord. Jay scanned the image; she could barely see him, a few feet behind the Doctor, his face hidden by the frame of the image. Jay sighed at the horror that laced his tone. _"They're like_ trolls _."_

 _"Yeah,"_ muttered the Doctor with a heavy sigh, irritated. He threw a glare over his shoulder at Mace. Jay snickered at the scowl on his face as he retorted, _"Loving the diplomacy. Thanks."_ The Doctor turned his face forward again and focused on the matter at hand. _"Tell me, General Staal: since when did you lot become cowards?"_

Jay blinked when the Sontaran the Doctor was speaking to cried, _"How dare you! You impugn my honor, Doctor!"_

Nervous about what was happening despite the fact that they were in the TARDIS, Donna slid her hand into Jay's. Jay squeezed, confident that the Doctor would figure out they were missing soon if he didn't already know. Donna, steadied by the touch, leaned forward and grumbled at the screen, "Come on, spaceman. We're here, too…"

 _"I'm really glad you didn't say belittle, 'cause then I'd have a field day,"_ the Doctor muttered with a hint of a smirk into whatever camera was recording him and allowing the TARDIS and Sontarans to see him. Donna and Jay snorted. _"But poison gas? that's the weapon of a coward and you know it. You could blast this planet out of the sky, Staal, and here you are, sitting up above watching it die. Where's the fight in that? The_ honor _? Or, are you lot planning something else? 'Cause this isn't normal Sontaran warfare. What are you lot up to?"_

His voice rose with each word until he was nearly shouting the demand. Jay furrowed her brow as she glanced at Donna and said, "Is he _trying_ to get the Earth blown up? Does he want it to be worse?"

"No," Donna murmured back, narrowing her eyes at the screen. "He's trying to say that there's something else going on...didn't you hear?"

 _"A general,"_ Staal answered coldly, _"would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces."_

The Doctor clicked his tongue. _"Ah, so the war's not going well then? Losing, are we?"_ As Staal bristled, Mace questioned what war the Doctor was speaking about, and the Doctor answered immediately. _"The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans. It's been raging, far out in the stars for fifty thousand years. Fifty thousand years of bloodshed and for what?"_ He took on a look of disgust, scowling, and Jay pressed her lips together. He hated bloodshed. Especially for something as simple as victory, as the Sontaran declared.

The Doctor rolled his eyes - and then vanished from the screen. "No!" Donna gasped, freezing in confusion when he was replaced with a cartoon. She and Jay exchanged confused looks. Where had _that_ come from? It was a few minutes of tense waiting on their part before the Doctor reappeared. _"Finished?"_ he asked dryly.

"Oh, thank goodness," muttered Donna.

 _"You will not be so quick to ridicule when you see our prize,"_ Staal declared, and Jay and Donna grimaced, knowing precisely what prize that would likely be. _We are the first Sontarans in history to capture a TARDIS."_

 _"Well, as prizes go, that's...rather noble."_ Donna froze again, this time staring at the screen with awe. _"As they say in Latin, Donna nobis pacem."_

"That's me," Donna breathed, and Jay found herself grinning. Of course he knew they were there. He wasn't an idiot. "That's me! We're here!" She bounced up and down a few times, delighted and Jay shushed her as the Doctor continued with a drawling tone, seeming almost amused, as if he could hear his companion's excitement.

 _"Did you ever wonder about its design? It's a phone box. It contains a_ phone _. A telephonic device for communication. Sort of symbolic...like if only we could communicate, you and I, like chattering birds."_ He flicked a finger between the screen and himself, arching a brow pointedly.

Donna looked a little befuddled by that, but Jay grinned, barely hearing what Staal said in response. He and the Doctor launched into banter. _Jaybird_ , Jack had called her so very often. She ripped the phone out of her pocket and held it up, bouncing a little as Donna had. "Come on, Doctor," she said softly, "which number?" Not that she knew how to dial the number. But she had Donna to do that for her, and she watched the Doctor intently.

He lifted a phone. Jay was briefly confused. Where'd he gotten it? Who the hell could it have belonged to? She bit her lip, confused. "Who?" she muttered. "Who do we phone, Doctor, come on, we're not mind readers…"

But before the Doctor could say anything further, the screen turned black and Jay threw her hands in the air, furious. "Idiot!" she cried, and kicked the console in frustration. The TARDIS made a sound of disapproval. "Sorry, lovely," she muttered, patting the console in apology with a heavy sigh.

"Oof!" Donna gasped when the TARDIS suddenly shook around them. She was thrown to the grated floor. Jay hit it beside her, nearly losing the phone in her hand. It continued to shake around them for a few minutes, too violently to get up. When it finally stopped, Jay and Donna just sat there, breathing hard. They stared at one another miserably.

"This is a pain," muttered Jay, glaring at the useless phone in her hand. "I could try Martha's phone?"

"Do that," agreed Donna. She hesitated, and then suddenly asked softly, "Can...can I call my family? To make sure they're okay first?"

"Fire away." Jay handed the phone over and then flopped onto her back. She stared at the ceiling of the control room, sinking her teeth into her lower lip with a frustrated sigh. _Come on, Doctor,_ Jay thought, _we can't do anything until you do!_

* * *

The Doctor yanked the clipboard from Martha's hands. He balanced it in one hand. He didn't know if Jay and Donna would call him via Martha's phone - something that he worried about - or if he would need to call them to get them on the other end, but first...he needed to figure out what the Sontarans were doing. Martha said firmly, "There's carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, but ten percent unidentified. Some sort of artificial heavy element we can't trace. Have you ever seen anything like it?"

"Must be something the Sontarans invented. This isn't just poison, they need this gas for something else...what could it be…" He huffed, wishing that he knew the answer or was with someone who could come up with something helpful...Martha was unhelpful as of the current moment. He wished he had normal Martha around…

"Launch grid online and active," Price suddenly said, snagging his attention.

"Positions, ladies and gentlemen," said Mace grimly, straightening. "Defcon One initiatives in progress."

The Doctor whirled around in horror, alarm sparking in his chest. "What?" he cried, glaring at Mace. "I told you not to launch!" The humans stood _no_ chance whatsoever against a ship full of Sontarans, regardless of whether or not they had nuclear weapons. Not that he approved of battle at all, of course, but he worried about what would happen if the humans didn't get it together and understand what he was saying.

"The gas is at sixty percent density." Mace's eyes locked with the Doctor's, fierce. "Eighty percent and people start dying, Doctor. We've got no choice."

"You're making a _mistake_!" the Doctor snapped. "For once, I hope the Sontarans are ahead of you." The Doctor set his jaw as Price quietly began to count down, simultaneously keeping an eye on the status of it all. She listed who was online, what the systems were like, and who was ready before beginning to count down again from ten.

But when the number hit zero, the screen turned dark, and the Doctor blinked. That had gone shockingly well. Mace began to demand what had happened, and Price explained quickly that the launch codes had been wiped. Upon asking if they could override it, Mace received a swift answer of, "Trying now."

"Missiles wouldn't even dent that ship," the Doctor said slowly, watching as UNIT scrambled around him. "Why are the Sontarans so keen to stop you?" He glanced at Martha, who was watching all of the comings and goings of the group with a hint of coldness in her dark eyes. "Any ideas?"

Martha gave a shrug, looking almost insulted that he thought she might know. "How should I know?" she snapped, and the Doctor fought the urge to wince. He hoped he could fix what was wrong with Martha soon.

Someone's radio suddenly exploded with static and the Doctor felt a flash of worry when Ross's familiar voice crackled to life. _"Enemy within! At arms! Greyhound Forty, declaring absolute emergency. Sontarans within factory grounds, east corridor grid six."_

"Absolute emergency," Mace said in response over the radio, sending the message out to all of the present troops. "Declaring Code Red. All troops, Code Red!" He ignored the Doctor's demand that Mace get the UNIT soldiers to safety. "All troops, open fire."

The Doctor's face hardened when Ross's voice responded with surprising calm, _"The guns aren't working. Inform all troops, standard weapons do not work. Tell the Doctor it's a cordolaine signal. He's the only one who can stop them."_

Static filled the air a moment later and the Doctor's jaw tightened with rage when he heard it. His hands trembled as he fought to control the temper that had suddenly risen. Snapping his gaze to Mace, who was demanding that "Greyhound Forty" respond, he nearly snarled, "He wasn't Greyhound Forty, his name was _Ross_. Now listen to me and _get them out of there_!"

Mace fell silent, searching his face. Finally, he grimaced and turned away. "Trap One to all stations," he said into the radio, not pleased about it. "Retreat. Order imperative, immediate retreat."

The Doctor pushed his hands through his hair, watching as chaos ensued. The people within UNIT's temporary headquarters were all busy, some giving orders, others tapping away on machinery, trying to get their weapons back online. The Doctor watched it all, his gaze taking in every action. He hoped he could call his companions soon - especially as reports came in that the Sontarans had managed to take the factory that had initially been under investigation.

"Why?" he muttered, frowning. "Why take the factory? They don't need it...why attack _now_? What are they _up to_?" Frustration built again. "Times like this, I could do with the Brigadier," he commented to Mace with a scowl. He paused, then added, "No offense."

"None taken, sir," Mace said, although there was a hint of annoyance on his face. "Sir Alistair's a fine man, if not the best. Unfortunately...he's stranded in Peru." Mace focused when Price declared that the launch grid was back online - and then sputtered when it suddenly shut down again, the screen turning black once more.

"They're inside the system, sir," reported Price with gritted teeth, frustrated. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "It's coming from within UNIT itself." The Doctor noted that; it could be important. He made a mental note to possibly thank whoever it was...although he'd not missed the hasty movements of Martha moments before. He frowned at her.

"Trace it," Mace barked. "Find out where it's coming from and _quickly_. Gas levels?"

"Sixty-six percent in major population areas and rising," Price said and went to work on figuring out where the signal canceling out their launch grid was.

It was while Mace was muttering to himself, watching the flickering screens and questioning just why all of this was happening, that the Doctor suddenly came to a realization. He straightened, glancing at Mace. "They wanted UNIT here. You gave them something they needed. Something hidden inside the factory...something precious." His gaze briefly crossed over Martha, and he paused, puzzling it out in his mind. Martha was special. Unique. And was high-ranking within UNIT. Martha would be desirable to someone who wanted something precious from UNIT. And it would explain quite a bit about his friend.

"Then we've got to recover it," Mace declared confidently, as if it would be easy. The Doctor just barely avoided rolling his eyes. "This cordelaine signal...how does it work?"

The Doctor quickly explained how it worked for him, and Mace vanished to work on it. The Doctor didn't bother to try and warn him about fighting the Sontarans again, instead whirling around. He needed to get into contact with Donna and Jay - sooner rather than later. Making sure Martha wasn't watching, he found a quiet but pleasant looking woman seated nearby, working furiously to fix the launch sequence. She glanced up when he purposefully brushed a hand over her shoulder and hissed, "Phone. Have you got a phone? I need it." She was a bit too slow for his liking, so he snapped, "Quickly!"

The woman, startled, handed it over.

* * *

Donna and Jay were sitting in quiet, the phone held tightly in Jay's hand, when it finally began to ring. Jay and Donna stared at it, and then looked at one another. "Answer it!" Donna cried, and Jay just blinked at the device in confusion, not entirely sure of what to do. So Donna snatched it from her hands and did it herself, making sure to put the phone on speaker so Jay could hear whatever was heard. "What's happened?" demanded Donna sternly, leaving no room for any lies. "Where are you?"

The Doctor spoke quietly, as if he was trying to keep himself from being noticed - unlikely, Jay thought. He was noticed everywhere he went. _"Still on Earth. But don't worry, I've got my secret weapon - you two._ "

Jay pressed her lips together, not entirely excited to be considered a secret weapon. Donna agreed, apparently, for she said unhappily, "Somehow, that's not making me happy. Can't you just...zap us down to Earth with that remote thing?"

"It's a sonic screwdriver, Donna," Jay muttered gently.

 _"Yeah, I haven't got a remote, although I really should."_ The Doctor seemed distracted. His words were spat out quickly for the next few moments. _"But I need you on that ship. That's why I made them move the TARDIS. I'm sorry, but you've got to go outside."_

"You put us here _on purpose_?" hissed Jay. She was going to _throttle_ him next she saw him. The Doctor ignored her, and instead went to work on comforting them as if it would convince them to go out into a battleship full of Sontarans who would kill them as soon as look at them.

 _"The Sontarans will all be on battle stations right now. They don't walk around having coffee like we do. I can talk you through it."_ Jay opened her mouth to protest and wondered if he could see them somehow when he said sharply, _"Both of you need to go."_

"But what if they find us?" Donna said with a shaking voice, her green eyes round with fear at the idea of going outside the TARDIS.

 _"I know, and I wouldn't ask, but there's nothing else I can do,"_ the Doctor said gently. _"The whole planet is choking, Donna. I'll walk you through it, just like I said I would. I'll be on the phone the entire time. Trust me?"_

Jay met Donna's gaze, and they exchanged a quick nod. They could do this, Jay knew. She'd been through a hell of a lot worse and more dangerous. Donna had, too, she realized, remembering the Arachnos, and she knew that the Doctor had gotten them through it. "Yes," Donna said faintly, but confidently.

 _"Jay?"_

Jay swallowed thickly, pushed her blonde hair from her eyes, and said fiercely, "Always." She rose to her feet with Donna and took a deep breath to steady herself. "Donna, you want to take the lead, or will I do it?" she asked as Donna turned the speaker off, putting the phone to her ear instead so she could continue hearing what the Doctor said.

"I will," Donna said firmly. "I have the phone."

"Okay." Jay waved her ahead, and Donna made sure she was completely ready before gently pushing the door to the TARDIS open. She peeked outside as the Doctor explained that he needed them to reopen a link between teleportation devices for him. She hastily closed the door again, swallowing nervously.

"There's a Sontaran," she explained to Jay and the Doctor, her eyes wide. Jay shifted as she waited for instructions on what to do, wishing she had some kind of ear piece that would allow her to hear what the Doctor said. Maybe she'd speak to him when this adventure was over about getting her something like the popular ear pieces from her time. "No," Donna said, dragging Jay's attention back to her. "He's got his back to us."

Jay felt a stab of sympathy when Donna whimpered after a few moments of quiet, "He's gonna kill me."

Jay touched Donna's shoulder reassuringly and then waited for instructions on what to do. Donna nodded slowly and then turned to Jay. "Could you get the mallet? From the console?"

"Sure," Jay agreed immediately. She quickly trotted back to the control console and searched until she found the hammer that the Doctor had been banging on the console only hours before, when they'd gotten the call from Martha. She weighed it in her hand and made her way back to Donna, who was nodding slowly as the Doctor said something to her.

"Trade?" Donna said, offering her the phone with a shaking hand. Jay took it, handing over the mallet, and desperately worried what Donna was about to do. The second the phone was pressed to Jay's ear, Donna was silently slipping from the TARDIS, hissing at Jay to wait until she told her to come out.

Jay bit her lip. "Doctor, what's she doing?"

 _"There's this probic vent at the back of their necks. One blow to it will knock 'em out."_

Jay blinked, remembering the rant he'd gone on earlier - when they'd been at the Academy with Ross, and they'd first learned what was behind everything that was going on. "Their weak spot," she said, echoing his earlier words, and the Doctor chuckled.

 _"Their weak spot,"_ he agreed, and then demanded, _"Is Donna back?"_

"Not yet - oh! She's good!" Jay said with a soft cheer when Donna threw the door open and beamed proudly, wielding her mallet. "I'm giving the phone back to Donna now." She did just that, and Donna told her to hang onto the mallet before edging out of the TARDIS. Jay was a step behind, shifting her grip on the mallet she'd been given and feeling a lot more confident now that Donna had knocked out a Sontaran.

Donna hissed into the phone, nervously looking around them, "What's it look like?" The Doctor must have said something entirely unhelpful to her, because she sighed and said with frustration, "There's a _door_." Another pause. "Yeah, there is. But it's Sontaran-shaped. You need three fingers."

Jay could nearly picture the Doctor running a face down his face in frustration. Giggling under her breath, Jay cleared her throat and said pointedly, "Donna, you've got three fingers."

"Oh!" Donna blinked, startled, as if she'd not thought of that. "I do." Blushing, she stepped carefully over the unconscious Sontaran, leading the way to the door. Jay followed closely, not daring to get too far from her friend and the phone she carried. Donna paused before pressing her hand into an orb-like shape beside the door, complete with a three-fingered imprint. It lit up green and the door slid open. Donna looked proud as she said, "We're through. Shut up," she muttered a moment later, flustered. "Right. Jay, we're looking for a 'T' with a line through it."

Donna fell silent as they made their way through the door and down a hall. Jay kept right behind her, so close that she nearly tripped Donna once or twice. She shook out her tingling arms every now and then, her heart racing in her chest, and winced. This was going to be a problem soon. Hopefully, she thought, testing it all, she wouldn't go down in the middle of the Sontaran ship.

Suddenly, Donna hissed softly and pushed Jay back. She ducked into a corner, back pressed against a wall. Jay echoed her movements with shaking fingers, and stiffened in terror when an entire troop of Sontarans marched past, guns held in their hands.

Jay pressed her lips together, hoping that they'd be back on Earth - and soon.

* * *

"Positions!" cried Mace, ignoring the Doctor's horrified protests. The Doctor followed him down a long hall, and Martha was only a step behind. He glared at the Doctor as he walked, looking almost disappointed in the Time Lord, as if he'd expected more of a war-loving person. _Well, tough!_ the Doctor wanted to snarl at him. "That means everyone, Doctor," he said, stopping before a set of doors and tossing something at him. The Doctor caught it. He stared at the gas mask in his hands and a smile danced across his suddenly saddened expression. The last time he'd seen one of these, Rose had been with him. He'd not had this body, but another, with an entirely different personality, and it had been one of very few times that he remembered not watching someone die in the process of saving the planet.

"You're not going without me," said Martha sharply.

"Wouldn't dream of it." The Doctor looked expectantly to Mace, and he tossed another to Martha. She expertly fitted it to his face, and the Doctor did, too, not liking how it felt. He made sure to check the phone before doing so; all he heard was Donna hissing something. She was alright for the time being. She'd scream if something went wrong.

Mace forced them to follow him outside, and the Doctor pushed his hands into his pockets as sauntered along behind him. He'd hand over control eventually, when he finally listened and realized they stood no chance against the Sontaran armies. They always did, when they realized the Doctor had been right the entire time. He'd somewhat play along until that moment came. Jay had commented once that she thought he rather enjoyed that moment, when the humans all turned to him.

The Doctor only quietly admitted to himself that he did.

They finally stopped beside a series of crates. The Doctor watched Mace intently as he withdrew a gun from it, showing it to the Doctor with a triumphant kind of manner. "Latest firing stock...what do you think, Doctor?"

He still thought that the Doctor had a fondness for war, realized the Time Lord. An expertise that he'd just willingly show to help them win against an enemy the Doctor _knew_ they would lose against. So, just to annoy him, the Doctor simply looked at him and tipped his head to the side as he said, "Are you my mummy?" Another flicker of pain at the memory of Rose flashed through him, but he pushed it back. _Not now_. Not when lives were at stake.

Mace knew exactly what he was doing and scowled. "If you could concentrate. Bullets with a rad-steel coating, no copper surface. Should overcome that cordelaine signal, correct?"

The Doctor scowled at him though Mace couldn't see it. "They've got _lazers_. You can't even see in this fog. The night-vision stuff doesn't work."

"Thank you, Doctor," Mace said bitingly. "Thank you for your lack of faith. This time, I'm not listening." He suddenly snatched the gas mask from his face and the Doctor stepped back as he launched into a small speech. "Attention all troops!" he shouted and everyone working around them stopped to look at him, waiting for his words. "Sontarans might think of us as primitive. As does every passing species with an axe to grind. They make a mockery of our weapons, our soldiers, our ideals. But no more! From this point on...it _stops_. From this point on, the people of Earth fight back and we show them! We show the warriors of Sontar what the human race can do!" He suddenly tipped his head back to look skyward, his eyes flashing. He lifted his radio to his mouth and said, "Trap One to Hawk Major. Go!"

The Doctor heard it fairly quickly and looked up in alarm when he heard the loud roaring sound that came from above. His eyes widened with astonishment, and he ripped the gas mask from his face as he stared. "The _Valiant_!" he said in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing. A flash of distaste flickered over his features and he was glad that he'd left Jay with Donna. He glanced over his shoulder as the fog was blown away by the massive ship. Martha barely seemed to be reacting. He clenched his jaw, hoping that he'd be able to help her soon.

"UNIT carrier ship _Valiant_ reporting for duty, Doctor, with engines strong enough to clear away the fog." Mace smirked proudly at the ship, and then lifted the radio to his mouth again. " _Valiant,_ fire at will."

The Doctor jumped a little when the _Valiant_ suddenly fired at the ATMOS factory. Explosions flashed and the ground trembled beneath the force of the attack. Mace ordered the ground soldiers forward and the Doctor admitted that he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The Sontarans were being forced back.

Impressive, overall, although he wasn't one for admitting that he'd been wrong.

Mace started walking, clearly expecting the Doctor to follow, but the Doctor only shook his head to himself and put the phone he'd been carrying to his ear. "Donna?" he said quietly, eyeing Martha as she hurried over to stand beside him. "Hold on, I'm coming."

He hastily put the phone away and hung up, not hearing Donna's response, and frowned when Martha questioned whether they should follow the colonel or not. "Nah!" he said with a grin, eyes sparkling. "You and me, Martha Jones, just like old times!" He took off at a dead run for the factory, not caring at all about the violence that had been going on around it. He used his sonic screwdriver to track a signal that he found fairly quickly, noting that Martha had pulled her phone out while running for some reason or another.

"Alien technology," he murmured as they jogged along, "this way." He guided her through twists and turns within the building, hastily avoiding a Sontaran that raced past, and then stopped. He could go left or right, and he chose left when the signal proved to come from that direction. The Doctor frowned. He'd not missed the signal that Martha had given off, and wondered why she'd not tried to stop him. He had a suspicion as to what she was, but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt until it was completely confirmed. He got the feeling it'd be confirmed or denied fairly soon anyways.

He pushed his way through a set of doors and found himself in a deserted space. The cement floor was scraped up and hard beneath his feet, and it looked shockingly empty. He wondered if it was used for storage on a normal day. If there was a normal day in the ATMOS factory.

"No Sontarans down here," the Doctor said after doing a quick scan, noting the curtained off area that the real signal had come from. He started for it, muttering about how Sontarans were unable to resist fights and how much it bothered him. Martha remained blank-faced as he threw the curtains aside and grimaced, guilt crossing his features at the sight of the real Martha Jones, unconscious. He should have worked to help her more quickly. Completely abandoning the false Martha, he bolted over. He took in the odd table-like contraption she'd been strapped into. A device had been fitted over her head and a hospital gown thrown on her body, and he was quick to check her pulse. "Oh, Martha," he breathed, relieved to find she was still alive, "I'm so sorry."

The click of a gun's safety made him pause, but he pushed on, pressing the button of his sonic screwdriver and going to work on freeing Martha from the straps. "Am I supposed to be impressed?" he said, not bothering to give the false Martha the attention she expected.

"Wish you carried a gun now?" she said coldly.

"Not at all."

She narrowed her gaze. "I've been stopping the nuclear launch all this time."

The Doctor's lips twitched as he finished removing the straps and paused to finally look at her. "Doing exactly what I wanted. I needed to stop the missiles, just as much as the Sontarans. I'm not having Earth start an interstellar war." He beamed as if she wasn't pointing a small handgun at him. "You're a triple agent."

She looked a little unnerved, which he thought to be interesting after having been so unreactive for the time she'd been alive. "When did you know?" asked the false Martha, confused.

"What, you?" He began looking over the headpiece, wincing. He scanned it first, not wanting to hurt her. "Oh, right from the start. Reduced iris contraction, slight thinning of the hair follicles on the left temple. Frankly, you smell, too. You might as well have worn a T-shirt saying 'clone.'" He paused in his work and then muttered to himself, "Don't do that in front of Jack. You remember him, right?" he said louder, glancing over at the clone. "You've got all her memories. that's why the Sontarans had to protect her and keep her alive - to keep you alive inside UNIT. Which means…" He ripped the device from Martha's head and she awoke with a terrified scream that matched the agonized cry of the clone as she hit the floor, writhing in agony.

The Doctor gently snagged Martha's shoulders. He pulled her into a gentle hug after she'd finished thrashing, eyes wild with fear, and said softly, "It's alright, Martha. You're safe. I've got you."

She shuddered, a sob wracking deep in her throat. "There was this - this thing," she sobbed, burying her face in his shoulder. "This alien-"

A ring came from his pocket and she faltered. The Doctor winced and pulled back, fishing the phone from where he'd put it. "Blimey, I'm busy," he muttered, ripping the phone open and putting it to his ear. "Got it?"

Jay's voice came from the other end this time. _"We found it. What do we do?"_

"Take off the covering," he ordered, glad that Jay was doing it. She'd have a bit more knowledge on how the insides of a spaceship, even if it was a teleportation device, worked. "All of the blue switches inside? Flick them up. And that should get it working."

 _"Right,"_ Jay muttered, and he heard her muffled voice as she said something he didn't quite catch to Donna.

The Doctor lurched to life, leaving Martha to finish getting herself together. He flew over to the teleport device at the back of the laboratory that Martha had been dragged to earlier in the day, silently listening to the conversation that had started behind him. Martha had approached her dying clone, who seemed surprisingly emotional now. He glanced over his shoulder as he tore into the device to fix it. It matched the one from the Rattigan Academy, and it made him grin triumphantly as he put the phone he'd been using aside in order to work.

"You've got a brother, sister, mother, and father," the clone said suddenly, and the Doctor nearly stopped dead in his tracks. "You love them."

"I do," Martha said warmly, softly, "and if you don't help me, they're going to _die_."

"The gas," the Doctor breathed, realizing the clone would know what they didn't. "Tell us about the gas!"

"He's the enemy," snapped the clone, recoiling at the idea of helping him.

"So tell me," Martha said, slipping a few inches to the side so the clone couldn't see the busy Time Lord. "It's not just poison, what's it for? Tell me. _Please_ , Martha." It was odd, addressing one's self, but she did it.

And she beamed when the clone said quietly, "Caseofine concentrate. One part bosteen, two parts probic five."

This time, the Doctor did stop. He stared at the exhausted clone for a moment and then breathed, "Clone feed. It's clone feed!" His voice rose to a cry and Martha stared questioningly at him. Going back to work, he explained rapidly in a way that normally made her dizzy with confusion. "Like amniotic fluid for Sontarans. That's why they're not invading, they're converting the atmosphere. Changing the planet into a clone world. Earth becomes a great big hatchery. 'Cause the Sontarans are clones! That's how they reproduce. Give 'em a planet this big and they'll create billions of new soldiers. That gas isn't poison - it's food."

Martha pretended to know what he was talking about, although there was a bit more understanding that came along with his mess of an explanation. She turned her attention back on the clone when it wheezed, "My heart. It's getting slower."

The Doctor winced as Martha reassured her, keeping her clone calm even as it began to die. He felt a flash of grief; the clone hadn't been at fault. She'd done what she'd been created for, and hadn't known any different. He wished he could help. But helping...it meant losing one of his friends, and that wasn't acceptable at all.

He heard when the clone breathed her last gasp of air, and heard Martha murmur a final farewell.

 _"Doctor!"_

He snatched the phone back up, tucking it between his cheek and his shoulder. His side was done. He was just waiting. He just needed confirmation from Jay and Donna about their end. "Well?"

 _"The blue switches are done - oh!"_

He grimly pressed his lips together when Donna's muffled voice cried, _"They've found us!"_

"Let's make a show for them then!" he said cheerfully and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the at the teleport pod. He listened to the familiar buzz, and then grinned when there was a brilliant flash of light. There was a brief moment in which he was just barely worried that he'd brought the wrong people back, but then the light died out and he found Jay and Donna standing there, hand in hand. Jay still had the phone pressed to her ear, and she wheezed for breath, caught off guard. Donna looked just as stunned.

"Alright?" the Doctor demanded, making sure he brought back the TARDIS as well, leaving it where it had initially been. The sonic beeped, letting him know it had worked, and the Doctor nodded in satisfaction before grunting when Donna suddenly tackled him in a tight hug that he returned with a grin.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" she mumbled, still shaking from the encounter she'd just had with the Sontarans.

"Are you alright?" he demanded again, and Donna nodded, stepping back. So, the Doctor turned his attention on Jay, who'd staggered over, looking a little ill. "And you?" he asked as she snapped the phone shut and grimaced.

"Fine," said Jay stiffly, "just...I don't like the feeling of teleports." She shook her head a few times to clear it and then smiled faintly at Martha...and _Martha_? Jay stared at the dead clone nearby and then Martha, and then the Doctor with wide eyes. He shook his head, indicating there would be a later explanation.

"Right! Things to do." He hurried over to the teleport, dragging Jay and Donna with him. Jay groaned in protest, but he only looked over his shoulder at Martha. "Martha, are you coming?"

"Sure," she agreed stepping over. She paused, however, a few feet away and frowned, showing him the phone in her hand. "What about this nuclear launch thing, Doctor?"

"Just keep pressing the 'N,'" he answered, reaching out and tugging her into the teleport pod with them. It was a tight fit, with all four of them, but he pretended not to notice. Now wasn't the time to complain about such matters. The Doctor squirmed until he could lift his sonic screwdriver. "We want to keep those missiles on the ground." He beamed at his friends. "Look at us! The old team, back together - well. I suppose it's the new team now."

"Please tell me," Donna pleaded, "we're not going back on that ship."

"No, no, no," he reassured, smiling. "I needed to get the teleport working so that we could get to-" He cut himself off, activating the teleport. Between one moment and the next, all of them were transported to a room that Jay recognized immediately upon stumbling out of the teleport pod, fighting the urge to vomit. "Here!" the Doctor finished. "The Rattigan Academy, owned by-"

He was interrupted by a squeak and he snapped his head around to find Luke Rattigan standing there with an expensive looking handgun aimed right at Jay's head. A scowl darkened the Doctor's face as he immediately advanced on the boy, who spluttered, face splotchy from crying, "Don't tell anyone what I did! It wasn't my fault. The Sontarans lied to me, they-"

The Doctor yanked the gun out of his hands, ensuring the safety was on before tossing it away. He glared at Luke as he muttered, "If I see one more gun…" He shrugged off his coat and threw it to Martha before disappearing from the room, and Martha gratefully pulled it on over the thin gown she'd been forced into. Donna, trying to make the uncomfortable woman feel better, teased lightly, "That coat sort of works for you."

Martha looked down at herself. "I feel like a kid in my dad's clothes."

"That means you're _definitely_ getting over him, if you're calling him 'dad,'" Donna said happily, and Martha chuckled before giving Jay a gentle hug when the young blonde decided she felt better. Jay hugged her back tightly, glad that she was okay, and then trailed after the Doctor as Martha and Donna began to chat about what had happened to Martha and vice versa.

She realized immediately where he'd gone the second she followed him into another room. It was the lab they'd investigated earlier in the day. It seemed like a lifetime ago, thought Jay.

Jay's sharp blue eyes followed the Doctor's movements as he began to take various items, piecing them together and using his sonic screwdriver when necessary. "Doctor," she said, curious, "what are you doing?"

He glanced up briefly, seeming surprised that she'd followed him. Focusing back on what he was doing, he said, "The Sontarans had to stop the missiles because they were holding back. Caseofine gas - the clone feed they're injecting into the air - is volatile. It's why they had to use Martha to stop the nuclear attack. Ground-to-air engagement could have lit a spark."

Understanding flashed through her. "They would have lit the atmosphere on fire?"

The Doctor's voice grew irritable after he'd nodded, growing more so with every word. "They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. And all that time, we had Luke here in his dream factory." He paused to break something off of what looked like a project that had taken someone a long time to piece together. "Planning a little trip, were we?"

"They promised me a new world." Jay jumped when the voice came from beside her. She hadn't noticed as Luke had followed them nor had she seen Martha and Donna come to stand in the doorway of the lab.

"You were building equipment, ready to terraform a planet so that humans could live there," the Doctor continued, "and breathe the air with this!" His irritation vanished and the Doctor lifted his new device into the air, looking so proud of himself that Jay laughed. "An atmospheric converter!"

He lurched for the doors, pushing past Donna and Martha, who hurried after him. Jay shoved past Luke to follow, and heard Luke a few steps behind. They all burst outside, and Donna sucked in a sharp breath of horror at the fog that covered the entire city of London. "That's...that's London. You can't even _see_ it...my _family_ is in there."

The Doctor only pushed the device he'd made deep into the grass and began to fidget with it, trying to find the right setting. Jay blinked as he grinned, finding it. "Wait!" she gasped. "But you said-"

"I did, didn't I?" hummed the Doctor and pressed a button.

They all jumped when a ball of flame shot out of the device, soaring up, up, up, up-

"Please," breathed the Doctor as the sky exploded into an inferno of swirling fire. It looked as if it had been overwhelmed by the burning surface of the sun, Jay thought, stepping closer to Martha and squeezing her fingers. Donna took Martha's other hand, the three women nervous about what would happen as the flames spread until they were in every which direction.

It seemed like ages - _forever_ , until the sky began to clear. And with the fire went the smoke. Jay grinned as wide as she could at the sight of the city of London, clear as can be, across the way. Donna and Martha cheered, jumping in excitement, and Luke stared at the Doctor in awe. Jay's smile vanished, however, when the Doctor suddenly said grimly, "Now we're in trouble."

"What?" muttered Jay and then sputtered when he snatched up the converter and bolted back for the Academy. She tore after him, and swept into the room with the teleport pod in time to see him clambering into it. "Doctor!" she snapped. "What are you doing?!"

He ignored her, looking over her shoulder as Martha, Luke, and Donna rejoined them. Martha looked breathless and Jay winced; she must have been exhausted after everything that had been happening for the past few hours. "Right!" he said, shifting within the teleport bod, the converter tucked under his arm. "Donna, thank you. For everything. Martha, Jay, you, too. Oh...so many times." He seemed briefly wistful. "Luke," he continued a moment later, narrowing his eyes at Luke. "Do something clever with your life."

A flash of horror filled Jay. "You're...no. You can't say goodbye." Horror turned to angry worry. "You _can't_."

"Sontarans are never defeated," he said with a gentleness that made her want to throttle him. "They'll be getting ready for war, which isn't something the human race can win. And, well, you know, I've recalibrated this for Sontaran air, so…"

"You'll _kill_ yourself!" Donna said with horror, understanding what was happening.

"Just send that up." Martha staggered forward a step, concerned by what was happening. Her dark eyes were wide, her face full of distress and worry for her friend - as well as Jay, who suddenly looked absolutely terrified. "All on its own. Put it on a delay."

"I can't," the Doctor said firmly, shifting his grip. "I've got to give them a choice."

He gave them a final smile, his expression one so full of sadness, and then vanished as he activated the teleport pod. Jay just stared at the empty space blankly, the only expression on her face one of fear. She didn't know what to do without the Doctor. He was the one who'd helped her, who'd been pulling she and Donna along on their adventures. He had given her a _family_ , in place of the one she didn't care much for back home.

Normally, Jay wouldn't have been worried. Normally, he seemed to have a way out, even if they didn't know about it.

But this time...the way he'd said goodbye and looked at them with such sadness...

"Jay," Martha began, but she only breathed, "What do I do? What do I _do_? If he dies...if he dies, where do I go?" She rounded on Martha with a wild expression, trembling.

"He won't," Martha said fiercely, eyes blazing. She drew closer and gripped Jay's shoulder tightly, trying to be as reassuring as she could. Jay merely looked back to the teleport pod. "He's gotten out of worse things, right?" She pulled Jay in for a tight hug, comforting her. She frowned a little. Jay tended to face things in a more positive light, trusting the Doctor fully even at times when she shouldn't. She didn't like seeing her friend in such a way.

Jay didn't answer, only buried her face in Martha's shoulder and returning the hug tight enough to make Martha wheeze. Donna sadly watched, looking stunned and unsure of what to do. Luke studied the three women closely before suddenly pressing his lips into a hard line and starting forward. Donna's attention turned to him as he stopped before the teleport pod, and she frowned as he went to work on fidgeting with the pad that allowed the user to control it. "What are you doing?" she said, catching Martha's attention.

Luke's voice only trembled a little as he said, "Something clever."

Jay looked up then, confused. Luke silently finished what he was doing and then stood, his face pale. He met Donna's gaze. "Don't let me be remembered for something bad," he practically pleaded to their confusion.

"We...we won't?" said Donna, not sure about what was happening.

Luke smiled in relief and then hit a key on the pad vanishing in a flash of light. A moment later, a shocked looking Doctor had appeared in his place, crumpled to the floor of the teleportation pod. His suit was rumpled messily, his dark eyes wide and hair sticking up in every which way. Donna's face went white when she realized what the boy had done, though she forced her horror back. _At least the Doctor's okay,_ she thought.

The Doctor crawled from the back of the teleportation pod and, heaving for air and looking shocked, just sat at the edge, staring at nothing in particular. Martha's lips twitched a little, and she gently nudged Jay. Jay pried her face away from Martha's shoulder, tears glistening in her eyes, and then gave a strangled sound of relief and hurled herself forward. The Doctor grunted as she half-slammed into him, half-slid to the ground at his side, her arms tight around him in a hug. He mindlessly patted her shoulder, frowning a little.

Martha just shook her head when he looked to her for an explanation about his friend's strange, upset state, and sank down beside Jay and the Doctor, gently rubbing Jay's shoulder. After a moment, Donna joined them. The Doctor yelped when she gave him a nasty slap on the arm, but she joined the group on his other side, her fingers tangled in his sleeve as if he would disappear into thin air.

In the peaceful silence that followed, they all simply sat there, catching their breath.

* * *

 _And the finish to the two-parter! I'm not so fond of this chapter. BUT next we'll be seeing Jenny and then an original chapter. :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (lautaro95 and Jaimee2014 (chapter 1)) as well as those who favorited and followed! It means the world. :)_


	22. The Doctor's Daughter

From where he leaned against the TARDIS console, the Doctor watched Martha meander around the control room, her fingers brushing fondly over different parts of it. A piece of railing here, a wall there, all with a nearly glazed look in her dark eyes. Every now and then, she'd look to him with a smile, or she'd glance at the exhausted Jay, who had curled up on the captain's seat as they waited for Donna.

The attack had come only moments after they'd stepped into the TARDIS, as if Jay's body had waited for the safety of the familiar time machine. The Doctor had taken notice that it seemed almost a second or two longer than the previous attack she'd had and was still concerned about it. She seemed content to rest for the time being, so he left her be, deciding to discuss it with her later.

Maybe it was time to actively think of another place that might have something to help her.

One of the TARDIS doors suddenly opened. Donna stepped through and Martha looked over with a frown of concern. They'd stopped by Donna's home to check on her family, and Martha was the first to ask, "How were they?"

"Oh, same old stuff," rasped Donna, leaving the door open as she moved further in, and the Doctor frowned in concern when she gently wiped at her eyes. "They're fine though. So!" She beamed at Martha, hiding her sadness, although none of them were fooled. "You going to come with us? We're not exactly short of space, and I know Jay would like it."

Jay, too tired to move, merely gave a thumbs up in agreement.

Martha smiled fondly at them all and then around herself at the control room. "Oh, I've missed all this, but...I'm good. Here. Back at home. And I'm better for having been away. Besides." Martha held up her hand and wiggled her fingers, making the engagement ring glitter in the light. "Someone needs me. Never mind the universe, I've got a great big world of my own to worry about."

"A defender of Earth," mumbled Jay teasingly, a slight smile crossing her face. She moved to climb to her feet, shaky but feeling better, - and was promptly thrown off balance when there was a nasty jolt. The TARDIS door snapped shut with a loud slam. A brief silence filled the air as they all looked at one another in complete confusion.

Confusion turned to shock, however, when the TARDIS suddenly violently shook, the familiar wheezing sound it gave off when moving loud in their ears. Donna clung desperately to the console beside the Doctor, Martha to some railing with horror in her eyes. Jay just yelped, thrown from her place, and clung to the floor in hopes that she wouldn't be sent rolling somewhere.

"Doctor!" Martha shouted angrily as the Doctor tried to stop the TARDIS with a horrified look on his face. "Don't you dare! You take me home, and you do it now!"

"No!" he cried, and she glared at him until he said desperately, "I didn't touch anything! It's not me!" The console sparked violently and the Doctor pulled himself, barely able to remain on his feet, over to another part of it, flicking a switch back and forth to try and get the TARDIS to listen to him. She clearly didn't care about his attempts, for the TARDIS gave a particularly violent jolt that knocked him away from the console and down to the floor.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna cried, wanting to help him back up but not daring to let go for fear that she'd fall, too.

"Controls aren't working!" the Doctor yelled back to her, and then blinked at the violent bubbling sound coming from near his ear. He turned his head and grinned. The hand he'd retrieved from the Master had been placed securely beneath the console, and it delighted him to see the wildly bubbling liquid within the jar he kept it in. "I don't know where we're going, but my old hand's very excited about it!"

Jay gave a very loud snort of amusement, and he flashed her a playful grin despite the possible danger they were in. As he crawled to the other side of the console to try something over there, Donna said with a hint of disgust in her tone, "I thought that was just some freaky alien talisman! You're telling me it's yours?"

"It got cut off," Martha explained, lifting her voice to be heard over the TARDIS. "He grew a new one!"

"You are completely impossible!"

The Doctor grinned as he pulled himself to his feet, trying another control. "Not impossible," he disagreed, yanking on a lever. "Just a bit unlike-"

He was interrupted by a massive explosive response on the TARDIS's part. More sparks flew, more than the first time, and there were matching screams of surprise when the TARDIS snapped violently one more time before going still. Silence fell as everyone regained their bearings. Jay shakily lifted her head, looking around, and smiled faintly at Donna, who'd been thrown to the ground by the force. Martha, too, was now sprawled on her back on the floor of the TARDIS.

Slowly, Martha scrambled to her feet and brushed herself off. Donna crawled over to Jay and stood before offering a hand, helping her to her feet. "Thanks," croaked Jay, wincing. She felt as if her skin was crawling; an aftershock would hit soon.

The Doctor suddenly shot up to his feet and nearly flew to the doors. He beamed as he ducked out, swinging the door open without pausing to think about what might be on the other side. He blinked as he emerged into the dark. When his eyes had adjusted, he realized it was an underground tunnel. Not Earth, if his taste buds were right.

"Why would the TARDIS bring us here?" he said aloud as the women all piled out of the TARDIS, all looking around.

"Oh, I love this bit," Martha said happily as she studied some of the old looking, beat up metal pieces that littered the ground.

"I thought you wanted to go home," teased Jay, and Martha sent her a playful glare in response before returning her attention to their surroundings.

"Hush, you!" Martha grinned to show she didn't mean it, and then put her hands on her hips. She looked around some more, creeping around the side of the TARDIS. Jay scrambled after her, Donna and the Doctor following. The Doctor was reluctant to let any of them out of his sight; who knew what had dragged them there? He didn't need anyone mindlessly getting hurt because they weren't ready for what had happened.

A loud sound suddenly made them jump. The Doctor snapped his head in the direction of the sound and instinctively gestured for them all to gather close to one another. Martha wound her arm through Jay's, and Donna hovered behind them with the Doctor making sure he stood in front of them all. _Especially_ when they were surrounded on all sides by a couple of people who immediately aimed guns at them.

"Stay where you are!" barked a voice none of them recognized. "Stay where you are and drop your weapons."

Very slowly, Donna lifted her hands in surrender. Martha followed suit, reluctantly letting go of her friend, and Jay, skin crawling worse than ever, did the same. The Doctor just spread his fingers at his side to show he carried nothing, not feeling the urge to lift his hands above his head.

"We're not armed!" the Doctor said sharply, really not liking the guns pointed at them. "Look! No weapons." He displayed his hands in front of him, flipping them over. "Never any weapons. We're safe."

"Look at their hands," whispered one of the people that had gathered. His eyes flashed with shock. "They're _clean_."

The man who'd first ordered them to stay where they were stepped forward. He studied the group closely and then pressed his mouth into a hard line, a stony look on his face. "Alright, then process them! Him first." He grabbed the Doctor's shoulder rather harshly and shoved him towards two of his men, who proceeded to snag his arms and haul him away.

The Doctor looked too shocked by the rough manhandling to be angry. "Hey! What's wrong with clean hands?!" he cried, and Jay bolted after him. Martha was only a step behind, not daring to let Jay go alone.

"Leave him alone!" Donna angrily snarled as she rushed after them, catching up fairly quickly. She watched in annoyed confusion as the Doctor was dragged up to some kind of machinery a dozen or so feet down the corridor. It was connected to various other pieces of machinery, and some of the soldiers stepped in to stop the three women from getting any closer when the Doctor's hand was shoved into it. He yelped in pain when something made a loud, shrill sound.

"Something tells me this isn't about to check my blood pressure," the Doctor commented sarcastically before gasping in pain when something seemed to seize hold of his hand, his knees buckling for a moment.

Donna rounded on the man in charge, looking ready to storm up and slap him. Jay casually took hold of her arm, just in case. "What the hell are you doing to him!?"

"Everyone gets processed," he said with a narrow-eyed look, not liking the challenge in Donna's expression.

The Doctor, despite the twist of pain in his hand and arm, explained, hissing through his teeth. "It's taking a tissue sample and extrapolated it...some kind of accelerator?" The machinery released him and he stumbled back, caught off guard. He examined his hand as his companions rushed over to make sure he was okay, Jay latching anxiously onto his arm to look at the diminishing scar on his flesh.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worried, but the Doctor's eyes were on another machine that was at work. A spark of worry flashed through him as he watched a pair of sliding door-like pieces filled in with glass suddenly slid aside, steam blinding them for a matter of seconds. A girl stepped out, through the steam, and blinked around as if she'd just woken up. The Doctor's face hardened immediately at the sight of her, not liking what had just happened one bit as the one in charge handed her a gun and told her to arm herself. He _hated_ the ease with which she handled the gun.

"Doctor?" Martha breathed, her eyes stretched wide. "Where did she come from?"

"From me." His throat felt thick with the confusing emotions that spilled through him. His voice came out hoarse and pained. "She's...well...she's my daughter."

The girl snapped her head around to peer at him upon hearing, and she beamed, her light eyes sparkling with a joy that made him sick. Her blonde hair was neatly pulled from her face, her small, slim for covered in clothes that matched those of the soldiers around them. It made him even a little more unhappy with her; any "daughter" of the Doctor shouldn't have been a soldier.

"You promised to take orders and ready to fight?" asked the man in charge, dragging her attention away from him. Her eyes landed on him with determination as she answered.

"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir," she said, voice smooth and confident. "Primed and in peak physical health." She cocked the gun in her hand, the sound making the Doctor flinch. "Oh, I'm ready."

"Your...did you say your _daughter_?" Donna whispered to him, her face full of shock. Martha and Jay looked equally as confused, and the Doctor glanced at Jay when she shifted uncomfortably, shuddering. An after-shock would come soon. He couldn't say he was pleased that they'd be surrounded by strangers when it did.

"Technically," he admitted, returning his attention to Donna's question.

"Technically?" Martha echoed. " _How_?"

The Doctor spoke mindlessly, not seeming to notice what he was saying even as he said it. "Progenation. Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother _and_ father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement and grow. Very quickly, apparently," he suddenly added under his breath, frowning. This wasn't a good thing at all. He wasn't human, after all, and he rather disliked that they had a grip on some Time Lord DNA.

Jay's head suddenly turned, her breathing hitching a little as another shudder wracked her body. Her voice was somewhat slurred, signaling the impending attack, and the Doctor pressed his mouth into a hard line, already thinking of excuses. Martha, noticing as well, tucked Jay's other arm in hers, secure. "Doctor," Jay said under her breath. "I can hear something coming."

The Doctor frowned at her, wondering if she'd left the pendant they'd made for her in the TARDIS, but looked up nonetheless as his "daughter" suddenly shouted, "Something's coming!" The gun was propped against her shoulder in an instant, ready for use. He made a mental note of where each of his friends were, noting that Martha was closer to the direction several guns were suddenly pointed in.

Something came a second later. The Doctor furrowed his brow as a non-human figure sprinted down the corridor, weapon in hand firing. He immediately ducked, pushing Jay's and Donna's heads down. Martha copied, keeping close as the one in charge shouted, "It's the Haths!"

 _Haths_? Martha wondered with confusion, noting the fish-like appearance of the aliens that suddenly flooded the area. Chaos erupted, complete with gunfire, and a choked sound left Jay's throat when someone hit the ground dead nearby. "We have to blow the tunnel!" someone shouted. "Get the detonator!"

The Doctor's head twisted, horror flickering across his face. "We're not detonating _anything_!" he shouted. There was no _way_ he'd willingly let a bomb go off near them, not now, as Jay choked a second time, this time with her knees buckling. She jerked, her body beginning to writhe in pain that flooded her. Martha turned her attention on Jay with a gasp, worried.

The mutual lack of attention to their surroundings was enough.

The Doctor's arm was wrenched when something yanked on it and Donna shrieked in his ear. " _Martha_!" Donna screamed, and the Doctor spun to find that Martha was being hauled away, an arm around her waist. Jay hit the ground, breathless, eyes glazed, and was promptly hauled away by a second. His nameless daughter advanced to try and help, but an order of "Blow that thing!" had her spinning away.

The Doctor felt a flash of fury as he lunged forward, shouting for them. How _dare_ someone who shared his blood leave them in favor of an explosive? Before he could do anything to try and get them back, however, she'd found a detonator and hit the button. The Doctor rounded on Donna and shoved her back, ducking his head and hers a second time as the tunnel suddenly exploded around them. They were thrown to their stomachs, and Donna wheezed for air as he pushed himself to his hands and knees, looking back in horror.

Sealed. The tunnel was _sealed_ , and there was no sign of either Martha or Jay. Donna breathed their names in terror. "You've sealed off the tunnel," he breathed, snapping his eyes to _her_. His daughter looked clueless as to why he was so furious with her when she noticed, her eyes wide. "Why did you do that?!"

She blinked. "They were trying to kill us!" she exclaimed, flicking her eyes between she and the furious Donna as they all climbed to their feet. The Doctor only paused to check on Donna as he said lowly, "They've got our _friends_."

The next few words unleashed a simmering fury low in his stomach. "Collateral damage," she said dismissively, waving him off. "At least you've still got her." She jerked her chin in Donna's direction, and Donna looked taken aback. "He lost both of his men. I'd say you came out ahead."

The Doctor opened his mouth to snap at her, but was interrupted when Donna stormed right up to her, getting in her face as she snarled, "Their names are Martha and Jay, and they're not _collateral damage_! Not for _anyone_! Have you got that, _GI Jane_?! Jay was sick! And Martha...she's not even supposed to be here!" She looked ready to punch the younger girl, and the girl stepped back confused by Donna's anger.

Seeing the unshed tears in Donna's eyes, the Doctor stepped up and gently drew Donna back with a hand on her arm. He drew her in for a gentle hug, reassuring quietly, "I'll find them. I promise." She merely huffed softly, the breath she took ragged.

Something prodded at the Doctor's arm and he glared over his shoulder at the man holding the gun. He certainly did _not_ appreciate being prodded with guns. "You're going _nowhere_ ," he said coldly. "You don't make sense, you two. No guns...no marks...no fight in you. I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now. _Move._ "

For just a moment, simply out of spite towards the people that had created so much trouble for them, the Doctor and Donna exchanged a serious look, as if debating whether or not to disobey. But then the Doctor shrugged lightly and Donna sighed, and together, they started walking, figuring they had nothing better to do with the TARDIS likely buried somewhere in the mess of debris.

* * *

A choked-sounding cough accompanied by odd bubbling, gurgling sounds drew Martha back to consciousness. Her body ached from where she'd been thrown, and it took her a few moments to remember what had happened. She remembered being hauled away from her friends, remembered screaming furiously as Jay was snagged, too, by one of the aliens that had attacked-

 _Jay_. Martha snapped her head around and took notice of her surroundings. Debris was scattered around them. A pair of legs stuck out from some of it, signaling that one of their captors had been crushed. Another alien, the one who'd likely grabbed her, was a few feet away, the gurgling sound clearly from him as he cradled his arm. Fear grew until she spotted Jay, heaving for air, her gaze bleary with pain as she gasped for breath.

"Jay!" Martha gasped, crawling to her.

Jay tiredly turned her face towards Martha, shadows heavy beneath her eyes. Too much too soon. But then again, the attacks had always chosen the worst of times. "I'm okay," she croaked. "It's passed."

Martha nodded, patting her arm comfortingly. "We'll find the Doctor again," she said quietly, pulling Jay upright. The gurgling alien recaptured her attention and Jay turned to look at it, too. "Are you okay to sit here? I'm going to go and help him."

Jay arched a brow, clearly confused as to _why_ , but nodded. She watched as Martha crawled over to the alien - a Hath, she remembered hearing someone shout. They were called the Hath. Martha fearlessly settled beside the injured Hath, waving Jay closer. Jay scrambled over herself, deciding that sticking close would be better for both of them. "Hold on," murmured Martha with sympathy, eyeing his arm expertly. "Is it your arm?" The Hath bubbled, the device in its face gurgling. "Is that...is that a yes?" It nodded.

"Let me examine it," she said firmly, ordering him to keep still. The Hath nodded again to show that it understood. As she investigated, she muttered under her breath, "Half-fish, half-human. How am I supposed to know?" Jay's lips quirked at her grumbling, and she listened with amusement as Martha continued. "Is that a shoulder?" She looked back at Jay for help and Jay shrugged, not knowing. "Feels like a shoulder...I think it's dislocated."

Martha began to try and fix it, but before she could get very far, footsteps filled their ears. She spun around and immediately dragged Jay as close as she could as several Hath appeared, guns pointed at their heads. She bristled, glaring around at them. "We're trying to help him! I am a doctor, and he is my patient!" she barked. The Hath faltered, not sure how to respond to this sudden change of attitude in a human. Jay smiled comfortingly and listened as Martha said in her ear, "Go around to the other side and just hold its hand. We have to show we're trying to help."

"Yes, ma'am," muttered Jay almost teasingly, yawning. She crawled around the Hath and comfortingly took its hand, knowing this wasn't going to be pleasant. She'd never seen a dislocated shoulder put back in place, but Lucas had described it to her once upon having dislocated his own shoulder.

Martha warned, "This'll hurt." The Hath merely blinked at her. "Ready?" Jay nodded even though the question wasn't thrown at her. "One, two, three!" On three, Martha forced the join back into place. The Hath made a sound of pain at the sound, and Jay froze when the guns rose again, aggressively aimed at them.

But then the Hath they'd helped - well, Martha had helped - threw its hands up and began to speak. At least, that's what Jay and Martha assumed it to be doing, as it gurgled and bubbled and more. Eventually, the guns lowered, and they sighed in relief, staggering to their feet. Martha moved over and slid an arm around Jay's waist to help support her when her knees buckled, skin crawling once more, although less so than it had been previously.

"Now then," said Martha coldly. "I'm Dr. Martha Jones, and this is Jay O'Connors. Who the hell are you?"

* * *

The Doctor walked in silence, side-by-side with Donna, and thought faintly over what might have happened to their friends. The worst fate was likely that they'd been crushed, but he thought he could feel it in his hearts that they were alright, just...trapped. On the other side. Away from he and Donna. There was the possibility that they'd been dragged off to wherever the Hath were residing - the one he was most confident about. There was a chance they were trapped, alive and hurt, underneath the debris. And then there was the possibility that they'd gotten out unharmed and had retreated to the TARDIS.

He tried to figure out the best possibility, but came up empty-handed. They were all just that: possibilities. Who knew what had actually happened? He was less inclined to think they were dead though. His companions always had a knack for escaping death - even when confronted with impossibly dire circumstances.

If Jay and Martha could survive the Master and the _Valiant_ , then they could survive a mere tunnel collapse.

"I"m Donna, by the way," Donna said suddenly. The Doctor focused on her, finding that she'd lost some of her ire and had decided to offer an introduction to his daughter. He made a face, still not too excited about it. "What's your name?"

She shrugged in response, shifting the gun in her arms. "I don't know. It's not been assigned." Donna questioned what she _did_ know, and she shrugged again. "How to fight."

Donna turned to him as he leaned in and said, eyes locked on the girl, "The machine must embed military history and tactics, but no name. She's a generated anomaly."

Donna furrowed her brow and debated for a few moments, echoing, "A generated anomaly...generated...oh! What about that? Jenny!"

The girl debated, and then smiled brightly at Donna, and Donna smiled right back. "Jenny. I like that. _Jenny_."

As Jenny hummed, pleased with her new name, Donna's green eyes sparked with amusement and she leaned in to tease the Doctor. "What do you think, _Dad_?" He shrugged, muttering that the name was as good as any, and Donna arched a brow at him, frowning when he didn't smile as he normally would have, amused with her joke. "Not what you'd call a natural parent, are you?"

He shut down any thoughts and memories that accompanied the idea of being a parent. "They stole a tissue sample at gunpoint and processed it, Donna. It's not what I call natural parentage."

Donna shrugged, not having any of his excuses. "My friend Nerys fathered twins with a turkey baster. Didn't bother her." The Doctor rolled his eyes, very well remembering who Nerys was. She'd stuck out at the wedding reception to a wedding that had never happened. Had even reminded him of Rose once or twice, simply through appearance, although she looked nothing like her if he thought too long about it.

"You can't extrapolate a relationship from a biological accident." Donna muttered something and the Doctor nearly stopped to give her an exasperated look. Martha wouldn't have bothered him about this, nor would Jay. Donna, on the other hand...he loved her, as he did all of his companions, but could she not drop the subject that he clearly didn't want to discuss? "Look, just because I share certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?"

Donna blinked, and then glimpsed Jenny's huffing frown from the corner of her eye as Jenny muttered, "I'm not a monkey! Or a child."

The Doctor ignored her protests, frustrated, and instead focused on the camp they'd arrived at. His gaze surveyed everything, taking in the massive underground space that the humans had made into a semi-home. He furrowed his brow. _Underground...why underground?_ he wondered briefly before shrugging. Plenty of species had underground locations. No need to be overly concerned about it.

But humans weren't an underground type of species. They thrived above ground. He forced such thoughts to the back of his mind. That wasn't the point of it right now. Right now, he had more important things to worry about. He turned to the man who'd brought them there - the one who'd introduced himself as Cline on their way through the mass of tunnels. "Where are we? What planet's this?"

"Messaline," Cline said as if they should have known. "Well," he added, wincing, "what's left of it." He left them to go and approach an older man who'd stopped a couple dozen feet away, having spotted them, and the Doctor and Donna remained where they were, Jenny beside them.

"This is a theatre," Donna mused, looking around with interest. It's like a town, or a city...underground! But why underground?"

"Mm, good question," he muttered, focusing on that. Maybe it wasn't something to push past if another thought it was important. He straightened, making sure he was at his full height and ready to intimidate as Cline and the man he'd gone to suddenly started walking over. When they were close enough, he said neutrally, "General Cobb, I presume?"

Cobb didn't bother to return the weak greeting. "Found in the western tunnels, I'm told, with no marks...there was an outbreak of pacifism in the Eastern Zone, three generations back. Before we lost contact. Is that where you came from?"

The Doctor latched onto the lie immediately, grinning. "Eastern Zone, that's us. Yeah. I'm the Doctor, and this is Donna." He nodded at Donna, who gave a small little wave with a tight smile.

"And I'm Jenny," piped up Jenny with a frown.

Cobb ignored them all. "Don't think you can infect us with your peacemaking," he warned. His eyes narrowed. "We're committed to the fight, to the very end."

"Well that's alright," reassured the Doctor, rocking back onto his heels in impatience. "I can't stay anyway. I've gotta go and find my friends." Donna nodded, wringing her fingers anxiously at the thought. They _had_ to find Martha and Jay.

"That's not possible," Cobb denied and the Doctor's eyes flashed. "All movement is regulated. We're at war."

"Yes," the Doctor said rather sarcastically, voice sharp and eyes like ice. He didn't appreciate being told such a thing when his friends could be in danger. "I noticed...with the Hath. But tell me, 'cause we're a bit out of circulation. Eastern Zone and all that. Who exactly are the Hath?"

Cobb studied him, debating how to answer. Finally, he said, "Didn't they explain anything to you? Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the earth. Our ancestors dreamed of a new beginning, a colony where humans and Hath could work and live together."

"So what happened?" prompted the Doctor.

"The dream died," he said blankly. "Broken, along with Hath promises. They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers...they fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival."

Donna furrowed her brow and asked, leaning slightly into the Doctor for reassurance, "There's nothing but earth outside...why's that?" The Time Lord at her side threw her an approving look. "Why build everything under ground?"

"The surface is too dangerous," Cline told her, shrugging.

"Then why build windows in the first place?" Donna's eyes scanned the massive room around them, and the Doctor blinked, not having considered that. He eyed her with interest when she added, pointing at a series of numbers that had been engraved in metal above a door, "And what does that mean?"

Cobb snorted, and the Doctor's gaze went from approving and proud to annoyance. He didn't much care for Cobb. "The rites and symbols of our ancestors. The meanings have been lost in time. The war's gone on for longer than anyone can remember...countless generations marked only by the dead."

Donna's eyes flashed with surprise. "Fighting, all this time?"

Jenny spoke up now, her gaze confused as to why they were surprised. "We must," she insisted, her voice sincere like she fully believed what she was saying. "Every child of the machine is born with this...this knowledge. It's our inheritance. It's all we know. How to live, how to fight, and how to die."

The Doctor shook his head, not liking her words one bit, and ignored Donna's sharp look in favor of turning back to Cobb, doing his best to pretend that Jenny hadn't been created through the use of his tissue sample. "Can we see a map?"

Cobb agreed and guided them across the area, leading them straight to a series of machines. One touch displayed a holographic map that the Doctor got up and close with, eager to investigate. It took only minutes for the Doctor to decide that it was incredibly unhelpful, giving no sign of life. He wished he could see that much. "Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?" he requested, and Cobb gave a curt nod. "Good. It will help us find Martha and Jay."

"We've got more important things to do," denied Cline from where he stood with Donna and Jenny. The Doctor and Donna gave him nasty looks, neither pleased with the comment. "The progenation machines are powered down for the night shift, but as soon as they're active, we could breed a whole platoon from you two!"

Donna bristled as the Doctor made a look of disgust. "I'm not having sons and daughters by some great big flippin' machine!" she snapped, glaring at him. She turned a grimace onto Jenny. "Sorry, no offense, but you're not...well, you're not real."

Jenny glowered, eyes flashing with agitation as she retorted, "You're not better than him! I have a body, I have a mind. I have independent thought. How am I not real? What makes you better than me?" She lifted her chin as Donna recoiled back a little, surprised by Jenny's answer - and uncomfortable as she realized Jenny was speaking truthful, honest words.

"Well said, soldier," praised Cobb, flashing Jenny a smile - the first any of them had seen on his face. "We need more like you if we're to find the Source." The Doctor latched onto it, demanding to know what it was, and Cobb clarified, "The Breath of Life. In the beginning, the Great One breathed life into the universe, and then she looked at what she'd done - and she sighed."

"Right, so it's a creation myth," said the Doctor as Donna and Jenny looked pleased with the fact that the Great One was female. He barely payed the myth any mind, focused on scanning the map with his sonic screwdriver.

"It's not a myth - it's real. That sigh is real. From the beginning of time, it was caught and kept as the Source," Cobb argued. "It was lost when the war started, but it's here somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet-"

"Aha!" the Doctor cried, interrupting Cobb much to Cobb's frustration. "I thought so! There's a suppressed layer of information in this map, if I can just…" He adjusted the settings of his sonic, buzzing the map, and beamed proudly when a whole new form of the map appeared. Donna gasped, and he said, "A whole complex of tunnels, hidden from sight."

Cobb looked stunned. "That must be the lost temple. The Source will be inside. You've shown us the way. And look, we're closer than the Haths! It's ours!" He grinned, whirling around to face Cline with a delighted smile, and then waved another soldier over. "Tell everyone to prepare to move out. We'll progenate new soldiers on the morning shift, and then we march. Once we reach the temple, peace will be restored at long last."

The Doctor watched as he did all of this, and then hesitantly said, "Call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace, couldn't you just stop fighting?"

"Only when we have the Source," Cobb said firmly, and Donna moved closer to the Doctor, taking his hand in hers as he spoke - as if sensing that this man was worse than they'd initially thought. "It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet!"

The Doctor's mouth was dry. _Genocide?_ No more, he'd once vowed to himself. Never again, not while he could do something about it. "Hang on," he rasped. "A second ago, it was peace in our time, now you're talking about _genocide_?!"

"For us, that means the same thing."

The Doctor's anger grew, and he took a threatening step towards the man, hands shaking with rage. Donna tightened her grip, remaining silent. "Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary," snarled the angry Time Lord. "When you do, look up genocide. You'll see a little picture of me there and the caption will read, ' _Over my dead body._ '"

Cobb remained as cold as ever. He swept a careless look over the Doctor and then shook his head. "And you're the one who showed us the path to victory...you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline, at arms!"

The gun was leveled at them in an instant, and the Doctor swept his friend behind him as Donna cried, "Oi! Cool the beans, Rambo!"

"Take them," Cobb ordered, ignoring their complaints and protests. "I won't have them spreading treason. And if you try anything, Doctor," he added with a nasty glare in the Time Lord's direction, "I'll see that you're woman dies first."

They both exploded with protests against that particular statement, neither pleased that they were being called a couple, but reluctantly let Cline began to herd them away. "I'm going to stop you, Cobb, you need to know that," the Doctor warned over his shoulder.

"I have an army and the breath of a god on my side," Cobb sneered. "Doctor, what will you have?"

"This," he said sharply, pointing to his head to indicate his brain.

Cobb snorted, amused with the idea of someone's intelligence surpassing the might of guns and weaponry. He paused when Jenny stepped forward, as if indicating that she was going to help - and then shoved her roughly. She stumbled, and the Doctor instinctively caught her shoulders to keep her upright. "Her, too. Can't trust her. She's from pacifist stock." He turned and left, calling over his shoulder, "Take them all!"

* * *

The walk was a long one, with Jay hanging heavily on Martha's shoulder, the crawling in her skin worsening with each step even as the attacks became less violent and further apart. A smaller one had occurred by the time they reached the base of the Haths, and Martha stiffened when others curiously rushed forward to investigate.

Her lips parted when she realized they were immediately friendly, their hands brushing fondly over them, stroking their faces and heads, their shoulders and arms. As if thanking them for helping one of their own. The Hath they'd helped kept close, as if their self-declared protector.

"They don't seem bad," Martha hissed to Jay, who merely mumbled something Martha didn't understand. She slouched completely, suddenly unconscious, and Martha helped her slide awkwardly to the ground with a worried look. The Haths faltered in their petting and happy greetings to study the situation with concern, and Martha desperately looked around. "Do you have somewhere to rest? She's...she's ill."

One of the Haths patted her head comfortingly and swooped down, scooping up Jay with ease. Martha scrambled anxiously after it as it carried the unconscious woman over to a safe-looking location and settled her neatly down. A few moments later, another Hath had appeared with a ragged old piece of cloth likely meant to represent a blanket.

"Thank you," Martha said with a smile, tucking it securely around Jay. She removed her own jacket and bundled it under Jay's head before rising to her feet. "Right," she said, looking at all of the Haths that were watching. "I need a map. Do you have a map?"

The Haths looked among one another and then one waved her over. Martha hesitated to leave her friend, but followed when she realized she wouldn't be far. She was led up to a piece of machinery that after a few moments projected a holographic map into the air for her to look at. She studied the map closely. "Ah, so we're...here," she muttered, furrowing her brow.

The Hath nodded and Martha settled in to study the map further. She'd only been looking at it for a few moments before she suddenly gasped, the map shifting into a new one before her. Her eyes snapped wide. "Hold on," she said as she took in the new tunnels. "Look! That's a new map. There's a different set of tunnels!"

The Hath froze, staring, and then, as one, they erupted into chaotic movement. Worried, Martha retreated to check on Jay, worried when a shudder wracked through her. Another aftershock, so soon...but then she relaxed, and Martha determined that if it wasn't the last one, the next one would be. Jay barely stirred as a few Haths came over and patted her again, praising her as they lifted their guns into the air, all of them gurgling.

"But I didn't do anything," muttered Martha as the Haths began to head out, leaving her alone with the one she'd helped and the unconscious Jay. She knelt beside Jay, who stirred again, clearly deciding now would be the time to wake up. She stroked Jay's forehead soothingly when she groaned, and told her friend when bleary blue eyes blinked open, so much clearer despite the short period of rest, "I think I just started a war."

* * *

The jail cell the trio were put in had nothing of import - in the Doctor's eyes, at least. Donna, on the other hand, immediately noted numbers emblazoned on the wall. She narrowed her eyes. "More numbers," muttered Donna, memorizing them swiftly. "They've got to mean something…"

"Makes as much sense as the Breath of Life story," muttered the Doctor bitterly. Jenny looked puzzled.

"Is it not true?" she asked in a small voice, not sure of how to interact with the two before her. One her supposed father, the other his close friend, with her being the outsider that knew nothing about either of them.

"No," said Donna, not tearing her eyes away from the numbers. She tucked some red hair behind her ear. "It's a myth. Isn't it, Doctor?"

"Yes," he confirmed, mind racing. "But there could still be something real in that temple, something that's become a myth. A piece of technology - a weapon." He scrubbed his hands down his face, thinking of Martha and Jay. He hoped they were doing better than he was at stopping this damn war.

"So the Source could be a weapon," Donna said as she turned to face him, frowning, "and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?" He nodded. "Well that's not good, is it?"

"No," he sighed. "That's why we need to get out of here. We need to find Jay and Martha, and then stop Cobb from slaughtering the Haths." He dropped his hands and looked around, as if having covered his eyes would reveal something new. What he found, however, was Jenny simply watching him with interest. "What?" he muttered. "What are you staring at?"

Jenny's eyes flickered with interest. "You keep insisting you're not a soldier. But look at you! Drawing up strategies like a proper general."

"No," the Doctor said, eyes widening. "No, no, no. I'm trying to stop the fighting."

She challenged, "Well, isn't every soldier?"

"I...I suppose," he stammered, caught off guard. "But that's...that's technically...oh, I haven't got time for this! Donna, give me your phone!" He rounded on Donna, making her jump as he held a hand out impatiently. "Time for an upgrade," he muttered as he withdrew his sonic screwdriver. She handed it over with ease, watching curiously as he pressed the sonic screwdriver to it, the familiar buzzing sound comforting.

"And now you've got a weapon!" Jenny cried.

He glared at her. "It's not a weapon!"

"But you're using it to fight back! I'm gonna learn so much from you. You are _such_ a soldier!"

The Doctor turned a pleading look on Donna as he dialed Martha's number and put the phone to his ear, but Donna was grinning. So much for help there. "Oh, you are _speechless_. I'm loving this. You keep on, Jenny."

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor turned his attention elsewhere as Martha's voice answered on the other end of the call, _"Doctor?"_

He grinned wildly, relieved. "Martha! You're alive!"

 _"Doctor! Oh, are we glad to hear your voice! Are you alright?"_

 _We_. She'd said 'we!' "I'm with Donna," he reassured, "we're fine. What about you?" Donna glared, a threat in her eyes, and he groaned in frustration. "Fine! And Jenny. She's...that's the woman from the machine. The soldier, my...my daughter, except she isn't, she's…" The Doctor shook his head, ignoring the annoyance that flashed over Jenny's face. "Where are you? Is Jay alright?"

 _"Fine,"_ slurred Jay's sleepy voice. It came as a tired croak, although she seemed to gather more strength as she reassured, _"I'm fine. A few aftershocks, but they're over. Martha and I are in the Haths' camp."_

 _"Something's going on,"_ added Martha. _"The Hath are leaving, marching off to some place that's appeared on this weird map thing-"_

Oops. "That was me," the Doctor admitted with a heavy sigh, grimacing. He should have known the Hath would have access to the same map. "If both armies are heading that way, there's going to be a bloodbath."

 _"What do you want us to do?"_

"Just stay where you are," the Doctor said firmly, thinking of Jay's condition and the fact that Martha hadn't wanted to go anywhere yet had. "Stay where you are if you're safe and don't move." He heard Martha's protests, but he hung up before she could get any further. Something told him that neither she nor Jay would listen, but as cheering flooded his ears, he had bigger things to worry about. Tucking the phone away for later, he said, "They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard."

"I can deal with him," piped Jenny, her lips curving into a mischievous smirk.

"Oh, no," the Doctor said sternly, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're not going _anywhere_. You belong here, with them."

"She belongs with us," said Donna with shock, her eyes wide. "With _you_. She's your _daughter_!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes and shook his head, memories flicking through his mind. No. Not his daughter. "She's a soldier," he said sharply, "she came out of that machine."

"Oh, I know that bit." Donna was cross as she held her hand out, lips pressed together. She made a small gesture when he merely waited for her to explain what she wanted. "Listen, have you got that stethoscope?" He nodded, putting a hand in his pocket. "Give it to me. Come on!"

He reluctantly handed it over, and she rounded on Jenny, putting two pieces in her ears and lifting the metal disc. Jenny cringed back, worried, but Donna hushed her and gently placed it over her chest, listening, going back and forth from left to right. The Doctor's face blanked as he realized what she was searching for.

He didn't need to, but when Donna turned and said, "Come here, and listen. Tell me where she belongs," he did as she said. Slowly, he placed the stethoscope in his own ears and shakily put the metal disk over the left and then right side of her chest, listening. He nearly dropped it. "Two hearts," he breathed, unprepared despite having known what Donna had found.

"That's right," Donna confirmed. Her face softened at the look of dark distress that had appeared on her friend's face. "Does that...is she a...what do you call a female Time Lord?"

Jenny glanced between them, frowning. "What's a Time Lord?"

"It's who I am, it's where I'm from," he whispered, some unknown emotion gathering.

"And I'm from you," she said.

"You're an echo." His voice strengthened with anger and shook with despair as he nearly snarled at her. "That's all. A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge. A code. A shared history. A shared _suffering_." To her credit, Jenny didn't so much as flinch or blink, only studied him as he heaved for air. "Only it's gone now. All of it - forever."

"What happened?" prompted Jenny in a soft voice, her face full of curiosity.

"There was a war."

"Like this one?"

He laughed bitterly at the comparison, thinking it amusing that she'd think to compare such a tiny war to the Time War. "Much, much bigger."  
She lifted her chin. "And you fought? And killed?"

"Yes." It hurt to admit it, and he didn't miss the sadness on Donna's face at it.

"Then how," challenged Jenny, her eyes narrowing with frustration, "are we any different, Doctor?" She whirled around, pointing towards a wall. "Stay over there," she said confidently, heading for the door to their jail cell, where Cline was standing guard. The Doctor gaped, and Donna grinned as she tugged him into hiding. Hushed voices filled their ears as Jenny flirted with Cline, purring something to him. They peered around in time to see Cline dragged in for a passionate kiss that ended with Jenny getting a hand on his gun. She pulled back with a pretty smirk as she aimed it through the bars of the door at his stomach. "Keep quiet," she ordered, smiling proudly, "and open the door."

Donna choked on a laugh as Cline did as he was told, scowling. "I'd like to see you do that!" she crowed, earning a look of exasperation from her friend. The Doctor shook his head and let Jenny tie up Cline, who looked rather upset about being caught. When he was secured, they left, the Doctor in the lead.

They only ran into one guard, who was dealt with rather efficiently in a violent manner on Jenny's part. The Doctor glared at her as he knelt to shuffle through the man's pockets, seeking a map. "I was going to distract him, not clobber him!" he said crossly, withdrawing.

Jenny shrugged, not caring. "It worked. Didn't it?"

"Just...just stay there!" he snapped, rolling his eyes. "Don't hurt anyone."

He got the worst feeling that Jay was going to rather like Jenny.

He found the new map he'd seen holographically and grinned in triumph, stepping back. Jenny and Donna peered over his shoulders on either side, and he tapped a specific spot. "There! The hidden tunnel. There must be a control panel." He strode off and they followed. He led them through various twists and turns until he stopped beside a locked door. As he went to work on unlocking it or a panel of wall beside it, Donna suddenly paused, frowning.

"Another one of those numbers," she murmured, studying the ones that resided atop the door. "They're everywhere, Doctor."

"The original builders must have left them," he said without looking away from his work. "Some old cataloguing system." Donna requested a pen and some paper, and the Doctor willingly handed them over, pausing to dig them out of his endless pockets.

"D'you see?" Donna said, excited. "The numbers are counting down. This one is one-four, and the prison cell said one-six."

"Always thinking," Jenny mused, gaze flicking back and forth with a hint of awe. "Both of you...who are you people?"

"I told you. I'm the Doctor," said the Doctor, going back to work. This time, he tested the wall panel, figuring it would come off easier than the door would unlock.

When Jenny questioned the title, Donna explained that it was all he ever said, and Jenny frowned at that. "So you don't have a name either...are you an anomaly, too?" The Doctor firmly shook his head.

Donna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come off it," she told him, "you're the most anomalous bloke I've ever met."

"And Time Lords?" Jenny continued as he succeeded in his task and beamed proudly, pulling the panel away from the wall. "What are they for exactly? And what do you do?"

"Time Lords aren't _for_ anything," he said defensively, investigating the wiring that had been hidden in the wall, all leading to the door. "And I travel. Through time and space." In his TARDIS, with his friends, he almost added, but kept quiet about it.

"He saves planets," added Donna, proud to be a part of that. "Rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures...and runs. A _lot_. Seriously," she mused, frowning at the Doctor, "I didn't think there'd be so much running. THere's an outrageous amount involved."

The Doctor chuckled, but then cheered when the locked door slid open. Just in time, too, for nearby, he heard Cobb's voice, echoing down the corridor. "Now!" he said, wiggling his fingers playfully at Donna. "What were you saying about running, Donna?"

She took his hand and together, they _ran_.

* * *

As Martha meandered around, looking for a way to charge her phone, she kept a close eye on Jay. Jay had risen to her feet, dozing on and off for the last few minutes, and now looked better. She could do with a good night's sleep, but she was functioning now. The only sign that she was tired were those heavy shadows beneath her sharp blue eyes. "I need to charge it," she finally declared, turning to the Hath who'd remained. It blinked in confusion, pausing in its work, and she waved her phone at it. "I need power. Do you understand?"

The Hath turned its attention back to what it was doing and Martha made a frustrated sound. Jay staggered over and rested a hand on her arm, squeezing gently to reassure her. "We'll figure it out," she said.

"I know," muttered Martha with a heavy sigh before jumping when the map suddenly reappeared. This time, however, it was in 3D, with more information displayed. She moved closer, taking Jay with her. "There's more...oh, you're a clever Hath!" She beamed at the Hath, who gurgled pleasantly back at her. "So this is where everybody's headed? But look...those tunnels sort of zig-zag. If we went up and over the surface in a straight line, we'd get there first!"

The Hath gurgled and shook its head, bringing up something entirely different for her to look at.

"Readings?" Jay guessed, and the Hath nodded.

"For the surface." Martha studied them with expertise. "Well, it doesn't look too bad. Nitrogen and oxygen are about eighty-twenty, which is fine. Ozone levels are high. And some big radiation spikes." She faltered, making a face. "But as long as we don't take too long out there-"

The Hath bubbled at them, as if questioning why they were so determined to leave. Jay gave it a tired, kind smile and said softly, "We have to find our friends. They could be in trouble."

Martha nodded and took Jay's hand, guiding her towards the door the other Haths had gone through. The Hath stopped them with a series of gurgling and bubbling and she exchanged a grin with Jay. "Oh, come on, then! You, too!"

They wandered through a few tunnels, seeking something that would get them to the surface of the planet. It took only a matter of minutes to find a ladder that led to a trap door in the ceiling. Martha went up first, grinning, and Jay went to step up after her, but both women were stopped by the Hath. It gurgled at them, holding its hands up in protest, and Jay spoke softly, her eyes flashing.

"This is like a prison," she told him. "Believe me, as someone who lived in the shadows for years, you don't want to stay down here for your whole life. Come and feel what freedom is like - what the wind is like on your face."

Martha smiled down at her faintly, knowing precisely what had Jay so fierce about the subject - why she was so determined to get out and feel that mentioned wind. "What's it going to be?" she asked the Hath, going to pry the door open. "It's up to you. But nothing's going to stop us."

She clambered out through the opened hatch and turned to help Jay out. A cold wind gusted through the atmosphere and she shivered as she helped Jay catch her balance, studying the planet's surface. It was horrible to look at, but beautiful in a strange way. They stood upon a desert-like terrain, and a beautiful starless sky was lit only by three full moons. Jay cooed at the sight of them, and when the Hath emerged after them, grumbling in the only way it could, Martha laughed.

"I knew you couldn't resist!"

* * *

The Doctor skidded to a halt, nearly tripping over Donna and Jenny and straight into the series of red beams of light that criss-crossed the entire tunnel before them. He hissed in surprise, relieved that he'd not gone straight into them. Donna eyed them nervously, muttering, but he payed her no attention, instead digging a toy mouse from his pocket. He tossed it into those beams of light and winced when it burst into flames, sparked by those dangerous lights.

"Arming device," he declared, going to the nearby control pad. He glanced up briefly when Donna commented about noticing some more numbers, watching as she hastily wrote them down. "Here we go!" he said proudly when he shut those lights off.

Voices down the hall made them freeze and Jenny's face set in determination. "I can hold them up," she cried as she sprinted past him, her eyes snapping to him when he caught her arm to stop her.

"No," he said sharply, "we don't need anymore dead." Jenny scoffed that it was their enemies or the three of them, and the Doctor barked, "It doesn't mean you have to kill them!"

She lowered her voice into a hiss. "I'm trying to save your life."

The Doctor copied her and murmured back, eyes blazing, "Listen to me. The killing? After a while, it infects you, and once it does...you're never rid of it." It was something he struggled with. Something he'd likely struggle with for the rest of his days, and the idea of someone who shared his DNA suffering through it…

Whether he thought of her as his daughter or not, he didn't like it.

"We don't have a choice," she argued, yanking free.

"We _always_ have a choice," he said, taking a step after her, but she merely shook her head and fled. "Jenny!" he shouted, but Jenny was gone, rounding a corner with a gun she'd found. The Doctor stared after her, gaze working into a glare. His body jerked lightly when he heard gunshots, and it was only then that he turned and stormed in the direction they'd been going, working on the number pad. "I told you," he told Donna bitterly. "Nothing but a soldier."

"She's trying to help," she said softly, touching his arm in a rare show of fond sympathy.

He managed to get the code and watched as the lights turned off. Donna cheered and the Doctor shouted over his shoulder, reluctant to leave Jenny to her demise despite the disagreement, "Jenny, leave it! Let's go!"

The Doctor bolted forward, hand in hand with Donna, and reached the other side of the corridor safely. He whirled around in time to see Jenny sprinting for them - only to stop dead, stumbling, when the lights turned back on a breath away. She blinked at them in shock.

"No," the Doctor breathed. "No! The controls are back there, I can't - the circuit's looped back!" He pushed his hands through his hair, wild with frustration as he tried to figure out how he could get through. "I...there isn't...Jenny, I can't!"

To his eternal surprise, Jenny grinned and took a few steps back, calling, "I'll just manage on my own then. Watch and learn, Father." She took another step back - and then shot forward.

The next few moments were something that the Doctor didn't think even he or Rose, who'd been a gymnast in some previous life before him, could have been capable of. Jenny flipped, over and over, missing each beam she flipped past. Within moments, she was stumbling into his arms, a little dizzy.

He couldn't help but hug her with a laugh, impressed. "Brilliant!" he praised, and she beamed back up at him, her hands on his arms as she exclaimed, "I didn't kill him! General Cobb...I could have killed him, but I didn't." Her eyes burned into his. "You were right - I had a choice."

The Doctor felt something in his chest twist with pride and relief. She wasn't a soldier like he'd thought. At least, not entirely. He nudged her over to Donna, who hugged her. "Go," he ordered, "I'll be right behind you." They nodded and continued on their way at a run, and the Doctor turned to face the human army that had finally arrived at the other side of the lights.

He took one step back as Cobb ordered his men and women at arms.

"I warned you," he said icily, taking another step back. "If the Source is a weapon, I'm going to make sure you never use it."

From where Cobb stood, he sneered, "One of us will die today, and it won't be me." He lifted his own gun, opening fire, and the Doctor turned on his heel and fled after his friend and Jenny, hoping that Martha and Jay were doing alright.

* * *

 _The surface of this God-forsaken planet is a nightmare,_ Jay thought with a scowl as a nasty cold wind nearly sent her tumbling down a steep hill. Martha snagged her arm and hauled her upright, and with the Hath behind them, they continued on their way. They would make it if they kept up this pace, Jay thought. So long as there really were no more aftershocks.

She was exhausted, positive that after this she'd pass out for a solid twenty-four hours, but for the time being...she could manage. Martha kept a close eye on her anyways, ready to rat her out to the Doctor should she suddenly worsen. She stumbled again; the Hath was there this time, making sure she didn't fall.

"It can't be much further," Martha gasped in her ear, and Jay nodded with a hopeful look.

Hopefully, it wasn't. She couldn't handle this much longer.

Perhaps it was because it had been Jay falling until that point, but when Martha suddenly stumbled, neither she nor the Hath were prepared to catch her. Martha went rolling down the steep incline to their right with a scream and Jay immediately hit the ground on her knees at the edge with a shriek of her name.

Martha hit the bottom and was sent sprawling into some kind of sticky bog. She stumbled to her feet, not worried - until she found herself sinking. A panicked sound left her lips and she cried, "Help me! I'm sinking!"

"Martha!" Jay called again, panicked.

The Hath made sure Jay was okay, that she'd stay there, and then flew down the slope. It hit the ground beside the bog and reached out, trying to reach for Martha's hand. Martha stretched out with a sob, tears rolling down her cheeks as fear crept higher. But the Hath couldn't reach, and Martha sobbed again, pleading for help.

So, much to their horror, the Hath backed away - and then lunged forward, jumping into the bog beside her. It gripped her waist confidently and helped push her free, tugging and yanking as the bog suctioned onto her. "No," Martha breathed as she crawled to freedom only to turn and watch the Hath sink beneath the surface itself. "No!" she screamed as its face disappeared with a final farewell gurgle. " _No!_ "

She sobbed into her muddy hands, shoulders hunched as she remembered why she'd left this life, and from where she was anxiously watching on the crest of the hill, Jay cried, too.

* * *

"So...you travel together, but you're not _together_?" questioned Jenny as she, Donna, and the Doctor walked briskly down a tunnel, which looked far less used than the others they'd seen until that point. It was brand new almost, and it was far less worrying as it had only one way to go.

Donna looked horrified by the suggestion. "What? No! No way. No. We're friends. That's _all_." She made a face, and the Doctor, from where he was walking a few steps ahead, tried to not be insulted when he looked back. "I mean, we're not even the same species. There's probably laws against it." Jenny laughed, deciding to change the subject. When she asked about the traveling, Donna relaxed and smiled warmly at her. "Never a dull moment. Can be terrifying, or brilliant and funny...sometimes it's even all at the same time. I've seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds."

A smile played along the Doctor's lips as he pushed his hands into his pockets. It was rare that Donna spoke of such matters.

"Oh," sighed Jenny wistfully, "I'd love to see new worlds."

"You will," replied Donna. She stared hard at his back. "Won't she, Doctor? Do you think Jenny will see any new worlds?"

He considered it, thinking back over the fact that she'd made what he considered a good choice. She was rather impressive, too, and there was the matter of two hearts beating in her chest… "I suppose so."

Jenny nearly stopped. "You...you mean you'll take me with you?"

He waved at the space around them, hiding his smile. "We can't leave you here, can we?" He was going to be overrun by women in the TARDIS...scratch that, he thought with a sigh. He was already overrun by bossy females. Donna alone was too much. Put her with Jay and the TARDIS...and then Jenny…

The Doctor grunted when Jenny suddenly tackled him in an excited tight hug. "Thank you!" she whispered, eyes sparkling when she pulled back to smile at him. "Thank you! Now come on! Let's get a move on!" She withdrew and took off ahead of them at a run, waving off the Doctor's warning that there could be traps.

Donna laughed. "Kids!" she sighed with false exasperation, her face warm with affection. "They never listen." She glanced at him, noticing how the Doctor had begun to frown while they walked. Donna grinned, nudging him gently. "I know that look. See it a lot 'round our way. Blokes with pushchairs and frowns. You've got dad-shock."

He nearly stopped to look at her in confusion. "Dad-shock?"

"Sudden, unexpected fatherhood. Takes a bit of getting used to," she told him, and he shook his head in denial. "Well, what is it then? Having Jenny in the TARDIS? Is that it?" Donna snorted. "What's she going to do, cramp your style? Like you've got a sports car and she's going to turn it into a people-carrier?"

The Doctor _did_ stop then, leveling her with a serious, but gentle look, fully aware that she didn't know everything about the nine hundred years he'd been alive. "Donna," he said quietly, "I've been a father before." She blinked, startled, and he continued, "I lost all of that a long time ago - with everything else."

"Oh," said Donna in a small voice, looking horrified. She looked down, fidgeting with her fingers uncomfortably. "I'm...I'm sorry, Doctor, I didn't know. You could have told me...why didn't you tell me?" She looked up at him again, gaze full of sorrow that made him smile sadly. "You talk all the time, but you don't _say_ anything."

"I know," he said quietly. "I just...when I look at her now, I can see them. The hole they left and all the pain that filled it." He looked in the direction Jenny had gone, shaking his head. "I just don't know if I can face that every day."

She took his hand and gave it a tight squeeze, remembering her own family losses. "It won't stay like that. She'll help you. Jenny, me, Jay...we'll all help you."

He squeezed her hand in turn, grateful for her support and the good intentions. "I know, but when they died...that part of me died with them, Donna, and it'll never come back."

Donna opened her mouth to tell him he was wrong, but broke off when a series of gunshots filled the air. Jenny came sprinting around a corner, her eyes shining with mischief and laughter despite the danger. "They've blasted through the beams," Jenny said. "Time to run again, yeah? Love the running."

The Doctor couldn't help the grin that spread across his face despite the pain. "Love the running," he agreed, and took off with Donna's hand still in his, determined to get to the Breath of Life before Cobb. They ran and ran, until Donna was heaving for air, and the Doctor wondered if Jenny had the Time Lord lungs, too. They stopped when they came to a dead end.

The Doctor stepped forward with a frown, running his hands over the wall panels. "This must be the temple," he said, denying Donna's claim that they were trapped. "This is a door." He went to work, hurrying to open the doors.

"And again!" Donna cried, pointing to the numbers above it. She dug out her pen and paper, writing them down. "We're down to one-two now…they _can't_ be a cataloguing system." She huffed, frustrated. "Too similar, too familiar…"

"Now!" the Doctor shouted, and the door sprang open. "Come on!" He spun inside, ushering his friend and daughter after him. When they'd entered, he hastily shut the door behind them, using his sonic screwdriver to lock it. It would give them more time.

"Oh," breathed Jenny, looking around with hardly a blonde hair out of place. "That was _fun_."

"This isn't what I'd call a temple," commented Donna, frowning around at the machinery that surrounded them.

"It's more like...fusion-drive transport!" The Doctor darted forward to investigate, excited with the discovery of a new piece to the puzzle that had been forming. "It's a spaceship!" He wished briefly that Martha and Jay were there; Jay knew spaceships well, and though he knew plenty, thought she might have liked to be able to help with the knowledge.

"The original one? The one the first colonists arrived in?" Donna clarified and he nodded although he made a so-so motion with his hand.

"Well, it could be," he said, starting forward once more. "But the power cells would have run down after all that time. This one's still powered up. And functioning, too. Come on!" He took off at a sprint, taking note of the sight of someone cutting through a separate door. He frowned as Jenny cried that it was the Haths.

The Doctor spotted a specific set of controls and grinned, making a beeline for them. "The ship's log!" He slammed into the controls and went to work, pulling up information with ease on a small screen. "'First wave of human-Hath co-colonization of planet Messaline,'" he read aloud. "'Phase One: Construction.' They used robot drones to build the city."

"But does it mention the war?" asked Donna as she and Jenny joined him, studying the information themselves.

The Doctor inclined his head, scrolling through the information swiftly. "Final entry," he said before reading aloud again, "'Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into factions.'" He flashed Donna a bright-eyed look. "That must be it! A power vacuum. The crew divided into two factions and turned on each other. Started using the progenation machines and suddenly they had two armies fighting a never-ending war!"

Donna focused on something else. "Look," she said, pointing at the screen before them. "Like the numbers in the tunnels...listen. I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library." Her face sharpened with interest, and the Doctor grinned proudly at her. Donna didn't think she was worth much, but she was clever in a way that was often different from any other companion he'd taken on board. Then again, they were all clever in their unique, special ways.

"I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat. I'm _good_ with numbers. It's staring us in the face." She grinned at him, and he smiled back, amused as she cried, "The date! It's the date! Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you've got year, month, day. It's the other way 'round, like in America!"

"The New Byzantine Calendar!" the Doctor realized, amazed. How had he not spotted it sooner?!  
"The codes are completion dates for each section," Donna finished, tucking the numbers away with a bright smile. "They finish it, they stamp the dates on! So the numbers aren't counting down, they're counting out - from here, day by day, as the city was built."

"Good work, Donna!" the Doctor praised, throwing an arm around her shoulders in a brisk, proud hug, but she shooed him off.

"No, you're still not getting it. The first number I saw was sixty-twelve-seven-seventeen," she recited, and then pointed to a date in the corner of the screen. "Look at the date _today_."

"Seven-twenty-four," the Doctor muttered, and then gasped in realization. " _Oh_."

"What?" Jenny demanded, not following the conversation. "What does it mean?"

"Seven days…" The Doctor ran his hands through his hair, shocked by the information. "Seven days? Just seven days...seven days," he finally said, turning to Jenny, "since the war broke out. A _week_."

Taken aback, Jenny recoiled. "They said _years_."

"No," Donna replied gently, moving over to take her under her arm and give her a reassuring squeeze, "they said _generations_. And if they're all like you...and they're products of those machines…"

"They could have twenty generations in a day," the Doctor finished, shaking his head. "Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend." He kissed Donna's head and swept past her to investigate more of the room. "Donna, you're a genius!"

"But the buildings," protested Jenny, still unsure as she looked between them. "The encampments, they're in ruins."

"No, they're not ruined. Just empty. Waiting to be populated." The Doctor started for an empty tunnel, and Donna and Jenny hurried after him, not daring to be left behind in case they missed more or were found by the Haths or humans. "They've mythologized their entire history. The Source must be part of that, too! Come on!"

He sprinted away, and Donna groaned under her breath, earning a laugh from Jenny, as they ran, too.

* * *

Martha's teeth were chattering loudly, her body wracked with chills, when she and Jay finally reached a hatch that would let them into the tunnels below. Jay hugged her comfortingly and then went to work. Martha, too cold to help, watched pitifully until with a final heave, Jay had pried it open. Jay let Martha go first, and then followed, closing the hatch after them.

"Well then," said Jay, looking around and brushing herself off. The chills began to die from Martha soon, and before long they were walking again, side by side. Jay forced herself to ignore the strange emptiness that had followed them since the death of their newfound Hath friend, wishing there was something they could do for it.

They walked and walked, frustrated with each twist and turn. Martha hissed under her breath after a while, "This is ridiculous, how long are these damn tunnels-"

She broke off with a yelped gasp, nearly stumbling back as she ran right into someone upon turning a corner. Deft hands darted out and stopped her from falling, and Jay blinked in realization, a true smile breaking out on her face.

"Doctor!" cried Martha when she came to the same realization, throwing her arms around the Time Lord. He beamed, hugging her back.

"Martha!" he retaliated, lifting her off the ground. "I should have known you wouldn't stay away from all the excitement!"

Jay cried out in excitement when Donna appeared a step behind the Doctor." Donna!" she squealed, tackling her in a hug. Donna laughed in delight, hugging her back, and Jay paused to peer curiously at the girl beside her. The one from the machine, Jay recognized.

And then she and Martha had switched places, the Doctor tugging her into a hug as Donna dragged Martha to her. Jay buried her face in his shoulder, relieved to have found he and Donna. He chuckled in her ear and then gently released her, patting her shoulder comfortingly as Donna cried, "You're filthy, Martha! What happened?"

Jay laughed over her shoulder, "We took the surface route."

The Doctor chuckled and then looked over his shoulder as voices and commotion rippled down the tunnel. "Alright, that's the general. We haven't got much time." He wildly looked around, gently pushing Jay back, and she easily moved to stand between Martha and Donna, still watching the girl uneasily.

She merely smiled and said, not at all frightened of the approaching danger as the Doctor decided where to go, "I'm Jenny."

"Jay," said Jay, smiling back and deciding she rather liked Jenny's bright attitude.

"Is it me," Martha suddenly said to the Doctor, frowning as she paused, "or can you smell flowers, too?"

"Bougainvillea," the Doctor recognized, and then took off at a run once more. They all thundered after him, moving as quickly as they could, although Martha and Jay were at a loss as to why they were going where they were going. "I say we follow or nose!"

Within minutes, they'd burst into the equivalent of a massive greenhouse, hidden within the depths of the spaceship. They all paused to look around in awe, taking in the beautiful range of plants that filled the area. Jay breathed out a small sigh of awe when she noticed some lovely red flowers nearby.

After this, she decided, she wanted to go to a field of those flowers.

She took notice of a pedestal that lingered in the center of everything and pointed at it. "What's that?" she asked, nodding at it, and the Doctor followed her gaze, taking in the glass sphere atop that pedestal. It shone brilliantly in the light, filled with a beautiful golden gas-like substance.

"Is that the Source?" asked Donna with a glance at the Doctor, who was making his way over to it. "And why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?"

They trailed after him as the Doctor came to a stop before the Source, his eyes locked on it. "Terraforming," he breathed, and Jay perked up, the word ringing a bell although she couldn't remember where she'd heard it. Likely some conversation he had had with her and she just couldn't remember. "It's a third generation terraforming device...this garden, this is what it does, Donna. All this, only bigger. Much bigger! It's in a transit state. Producing this garden must help keep it stable before they finally-"

He broke off when loud noises filled the air. He stiffened when both Hath and human armies appeared, one on either side of he and his companions. Martha and Donna protectively stood before Jay and Jenny, and Jay rolled her eyes at their efforts, although she did appreciate the thought in the action. Jenny simply looked amused.

"Hold your fire!" the Doctor shouted when each side lifted their weapons to aim at the other. He seized the sphere into his hands, and neither side moved, as if recognizing the importance of it.

"What is this?" barked Cobb from where he stood at the head of the humans.

"You said you wanted this war over," the Doctor said quietly, watching him through narrowed eyes. Cobb was someone he liked very little, and he couldn't wait to be away from him.

"I want this war _won_."

"You can't win - no one can." The Doctor's gaze scanned each and every human and Hath present. He had everyone's full attention now, and he smiled briefly at his friends. All three smiled back; Jenny, too, her gaze sparkling with excitement. She was so full of _life_. "You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history is just Chinese whispers, getting more distorted it's passed on."

He lifted the sphere higher. "This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over: a device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. A bubble of gasses, a cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids - it's for making barren planets habitable.

"Look around you!" he shouted, glaring at them all. "It's not for _killing_ , it's for bringing _life_! If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels, and into the bright, bright sunlight! No more fighting. No more killing."

The Doctor heaved the sphere higher above his head, nearly on his tiptoes. A smile flashed over his face, triumphant and relieved. "I am the Doctor," he declared, "and I declare this war _over_!" He hurled the terraforming device to the ground and everyone jumped when it shattered at his feet. Gases of shimmering gold curled through the air and over the ground, brushing gently across their faces. He smiled fondly at them all when many Haths and humans alike, in awe, lowered and even dropped their guns.

Jenny grabbed his arm, stepping closer to him. "What's happening?" she whispered, her lips parted as she watched.

He smiled at her, too. "The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process. It means a new world, for Hath and for humans."

Jenny only laughed, reaching out to run her fingers through the swirling gas.

* * *

Something pinged in the back of her head.

Jay furrowed her brow. She could feel something, nearly _taste_ the violent intent on her tongue. She slowly began looking around, confused. She knew something was about to happen - something bad. Some sense told her.

 _Look,_ whispered a voice that didn't belong to her, hissed and proud, _look at him._

Instinctively, Jay looked to the Doctor, but he was looking up, smiling with Jenny at the beauty around them. _No,_ whispered the voice. _Not him,_ him _._

Some tendril yanked her head the other way and she found an angry older man at the head of the humans, staring maliciously at the Doctor. Unlike everyone else, he looked furious, unimpressed. All it took was one inch of movement for Jay to realize what he intended to do, the gun tipping up, and she was a blur of movement, throwing herself forward.

"Jay!" Donna gasped, whirling around when she accidentally rammed into her, but Jay was gone, slamming into Cobb as hard as she could. His bellow of surprise and fury filled her ears and she flinched at the gunshots that pressed in on her ears. Hot blood struck her face, but she ignored it, too busy wrestling the gun from his hands.

She might have been tired and weak from her attacks and lack of rest, but her determination to stop anymore violence from happening was strong. She heard shouts and yelps and Donna's screaming, and then other hands were there, dragging the gun from Cobb's hands and hauling her away so Cobb could be pushed to his feet.

Almost immediately, Donna was there, her hands cradling Jay's face as Jay staggered to her feet, dizzy. "Jay," she breathed, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jay managed to get out, scrubbing at her eyes. That voice had left, leaving her cold and tired.

The Doctor's cry had her spinning around. Had she failed? Would he do as he'd told her Time Lords did - as they'd watched the Master do - and regenerate, leaving them with an entire new Doctor?

No, she realized, cold horror replacing her fear. He was on the ground, but not hurt. He was bent over Jenny, his arms cradling her, Martha beside him. "Talk to me, Jenny!" the Doctor pleaded, his desperation evident in his eyes.

 _I wasn't quick enough_. Jay stumbled over, collapsing beside them, and the Doctor barely glanced at her, his gaze flickering with fear. Donna bent over them, standing. "Is...is she going to be okay?"

Martha shakily looked up, eyes widening as she took in Jay, and shook her head sadly. She reached out to touch something on Jay's cheek, but Jay swatted her away, tears already rolling down her cheeks.

First, Pompeii, although done willingly. Now Jenny.

It took her a moment to understand that a stray bullet had caught Jenny in the side, straight through the ribs. Her breathing was heavy and wet-sounding, blood flecking her lips with each exhale. Jenny didn't seem to be scared, even as she weakly smiled and breathed, "A new world. It's beautiful." Glazed eyes studied the golden gases above her head.

Jay's lips trembled as the Doctor begged, "Be strong now, you need to hold on. Do you hear me? We've got things to do, you and me. We can go anywhere. Everywhere." His voice broke, and Jay was suddenly back on the _Valiant_ , watching him cradle the Master in a similar way. "You choose, Jenny."

She gave a faint, choked-sounding laugh. Her gaze briefly met Jay's, flashing with unsaid emotion. Jay gave a muffled sob as Jenny returned her gaze to the Doctor's, shuddering in pain. "That sounds...sounds good."

"You're my daughter," the Doctor murmured to her, stroking some hair from her face, "and we've only just got started. You're going to be great - more than great. You're going to be amazing!" A breathless, broken laugh. "You hear me?" No response came and his eyes flickered desperately when she coughed, breath hitching. "Jenny?"

Her chest stilled, and the Doctor gave a small sound that broke his three friends' hearts. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, thinking viciously, and then suddenly looked to Martha, desperate. She shook her head as she'd felt Jenny's pulse, seeking a sign of regeneration. "Two hearts," he insisted. "She's got two hearts like me. If we just wait-"

"There's no sign," she said softly, touching his cheek in a comforting touch. He shook her off, furious with the events. "There's no regeneration. She's like you, but...maybe not enough."

The Doctor said nothing, looking down. Jay sobbed again, guilt spiraling through her. Donna knelt beside her and drew Jay into a tight hug, murmuring soothingly to her as she anxiously saw the shift in the Doctor's eyes. The darkness that appeared as he gently set Jenny down and pulled himself to his feet. "Doctor," she breathed, but he was walking, walking straight for Cobb.

No one moved or said a word when he picked up Cobb's gun, still hot, and pointed it at his head, resting the end on his forehead. Cobb stilled, glaring up at him. The Doctor's breaths came heavily, and Martha and Donna exchanged shocked looks. But then, the Doctor lowered the gun and said in a low, seething voice, "I never would. I _never_ would!"

The Doctor clicked the safety on and hurled the gun away in one, violent motion. "When you start this new world, this world of humans and Haths," he shouted, glaring out at all of them. No one moved. "I want that to be the foundation of this society! Remember it! A man that _never_ _would_."

He retreated, finished, and dropped heavily beside Jenny again, fighting the tears back. He didn't want to cry, didn't want to feel the pain crushing his hearts as badly as it had when he'd seen the Master die so similarly.

Martha sat there quietly for a few minutes as commotion died and the Haths and humans hesitantly began to mingle, to figure out what to do next. All avoided them. And then, she said softly, "I'm sorry, Doctor. I'm so, so sorry."

He flicked his gaze up, and she met those old, ancient eyes with a sorrowful gaze. "Me, too," was all he said.

* * *

A few hours later found the Doctor and his companions ducking into the TARDIS. Donna and Martha kept glancing at Jay's face, worried, although neither said why. Jay didn't need to be told. Hot pain was licking up and down her face now, and she wondered if a stray bullet had caught her, too. She touched the flesh and hissed; immediately, the Doctor was gently pulling her hand away, indicating that she shouldn't touch it.

"Jenny," he said hoarsely as he went to put the TARDIS into motion, deciding he or Martha could tend to it when they were gone, "was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here. We just...got here too soon, which then created her in the first place. An endless paradox."

They'd left her on a platform, watched over by Cline and who they assumed to be the leader of the Haths. Both had promised - vowed, even - to never forget Jenny, to pass on her sacrifice and story.

They'd also promised to give her a proper burial, something the Doctor had quietly thanked them for before leaving.

"Time to go home?" the Doctor said to Martha as he flipped a switch on the console. The TARDIS hummed loudly, worried. He patted it gently. They'd be fine - all of them. They always were. Well, at least as fine as they could be when things like this happened.

Martha nodded wordlessly, and the TARDIS was set into motion.

The TARDIS shuddered, the familiar wheezing filling the air. Martha smiled fondly at the sound, knowing it would be awhile before she heard it again - if she ever did. She knew the stories; sometimes, he just...didn't come back.

The TARDIS landed with ease, and she turned to the Doctor. "I want to look at Jay's face before I go," she said, and he waved her off, indicating that she should go to the medical bay. Jay protested, not thinking the injury to be _that_ bad.

Until a few minutes down the road, Martha showed her a mirror, and Jay hissed in shock. A bullet had caught her cheek, just as Jay had expected, although it had done a bit more damage than she'd thought. Blood crusted the entire left side of her face, and the injury was wide and long.

"Normally," Martha said softly, gathering some towels and water along with a cream the TARDIS had left out for them to use, knowing what would work best, "you'd need stitches. Thank God for alien medicines."

She cleaned up Jay's face, swiping blood away and ignoring her winces and flinches. She cleaned the injury, too, and then smeared the cream over it, ignoring the yelp that escaped her friend. Finally, she placed a bandage over it, lightly sealing it in. "Take it off in a few days," she said, hugging Jay.

Jay found herself hugging Martha back tightly, her fingers digging in. She hid her face in Martha's throat, giving a shuddering breath. Martha soothingly ran a hand down her back. "It's not your fault," she said softly, knowing precisely what had Jay so quiet. "You know it's not. Donna told us. You tried to stop it."

Jay didn't respond.

* * *

"You sure about this?" Donna asked as she walked Martha out of the TARDIS, the Doctor only a step behind. Jay trailed behind him, quiet and distant, lost in thought. Martha flashed her a worried look, but said nothing.

Instead, she told Donna warmly, "Yeah, positive. I can't do this anymore. You'll be the same one day."

Donna stopped to stare at her, scoffing, "Not me. Never! How can I ever go back to normal life after seeing...seeing all this?" She looked over her shoulder, and the Doctor smiled a fraction, pleased with her response. "I want to travel like this forever."

Martha merely smiled and drew her in for a hug, tightening her arms. "Good luck," she said simply. Donna hugged her back and then drew away so Jay could step forward. She said nothing as Martha hugged her tightly, murmuring something in her ear. Jay joined Donna, who tucked an arm soothingly around her as Martha turned to the Doctor.

"We're making a habit of this," he said.

"Yeah," she laughed, "and you think it'd be easier." She stepped forward, throwing her arms around him, and he lifted her off the ground in her third and final hug. She reluctantly parted with him, keeping her hands on his shoulders. "Keep an eye on them, Doctor. Jay especially. She's had a rough day, too."

He said nothing, only searched her gaze before giving a curt nod, and Martha just barely wondered if he somewhat blamed her. He'd been told what had happened, had heard that Jay had hurled herself right into danger to try and stop it. Martha wondered if he was upset with their friend for failing to get there in time or for doing so at all. But he'd never been angry with them about such things. They tried and even if it hurt them all in the end, he understood.

Martha was certain he was just saddened by the loss of Jenny.

"Bye, Doctor," she said softly.

"Goodbye, Dr. Jones," he said just as softly, a teasing tint to his voice. She grinned, and then turned to leave.

The Doctor stepped back, and then whirled around to face Donna and Jay. Both looked hesitant, uncertain, and he took a deep breath before suddenly flashing them a tired, but friendly grin. "Come on," he said, shooing them towards the TARDIS. "I think we need some relaxation."

Donna agreed, looking relieved, but Jay merely frowned. The Doctor noted that, but said nothing for the time being. He'd address it when they were back in the TARDIS and everything was calm.

It took only minutes for the TARDIS to be sent into random drift, lazily crossing through time and space without landing anywhere in particular. The Doctor let out a gust of air when he was finished, and Donna, after a few moments of what felt like an awkward silence, declared, "I'm going to go shower and get some sleep. That was...exhausting."

They _had_ done a lot of distressing things in the past twenty-four hours. First the Sontarans and then the underground base full of Haths and humans, and so much _running_...Donna's legs were like jello as she beamed tiredly at him and then left. Jay turned on her heel thoughtfully, intending to follow suit, but was stopped when the Doctor said, "Jayden."

She winced, not liking that he'd used her full first name. Anxiety spiraled through her gut as she warily turned to face him when he approached, not liking the kind look on his face at all. "You tried to stop it," he told her, and she stiffened unhappily. "He could have done a lot more damage had you not stopped him." They could have all been dead - well, the others. He would have simply regenerated before he'd liked.

Jay swallowed thickly, refusing to meet his gaze. "And I got Jenny killed. I didn't move fast enough." Anger - self-directed - sparked in her chest. "I should have done _better_. I've done this long enough. I should have known. I've seen things like this happen before. I could have done so much better than I did."

It bothered her, so much more than the other deaths that had occurred over the course of their travels. She remembered Pompeii specifically - hadn't felt nearly as bad about it as she did now. Guilty, yes, but...it had already been implanted into history, and she'd not been personally acquainted with those that had perished. None of them had been her friend's _daughter_.

The Doctor pressed his lips together. Most of the time, it was fun. Sometimes frightening, but very often fun even then. But rarely, things like this happened, and it made everything so difficult and stressful, hurt people so much that he worried that he'd done the wrong thing taking anyone with him.

"It tried to warn me," she said suddenly, shuddering, and he frowned. "It tried to warn me, and I should have listened faster than I did, should have understood. One second - that's all it could have taken to change everything."

"It?" muttered the Doctor in confusion, but he shook it off. Something to consider later, after she'd gotten some sleep - which she so clearly needed. Jay was wavering on her feet now. "It wasn't your fault," he said firmly. "Sometimes things happen. Now go get some rest."

She faltered, and then took a shuddering breath. "I'm still sorry. That I didn't get there in time."

Forgiveness, the Doctor realized. She was looking for forgiveness, just as he tended to do for matters such as these - like when he had been thinking of the Time War for too long. Gently, the Doctor wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, and he smiled faintly when she latched onto him like it was the only way she'd stay standing.

He gave her a few heartbeats, reassuring her as best as he could, and then he nudged her back. "Go," he said firmly, voice stern, though he pressed a fond kiss to her forehead and studied the patch Martha had placed over the wound on her cheek. "We can't do anything fun until you're not going to fall on your face from sleep deprivation."

She smiled. Shakily, but a smile nonetheless. "Thank you," she said simply, and slipped away, vanishing down the TARDIS corridor. The Doctor watched her go and sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair.

No running, he told himself as he went to the console. No running for the next trip. He wanted to give them something fun that would involve no running…he debated where to go as he fiddled with the controls. A switch here, a lever there, a knob over elsewhere…

He paused.

Donna had liked the idea of Rome.

Maybe Ancient Greece would be fun?

* * *

 _On another binge and got this written in two days. Had some fun with Jenny! I love her. I considered having her survive (well, straight-up no gun-shot wound), but decided against it to create some different kinds of angst._

 _Anyhow, next up is an original chapter based in Greece (the one I was exceptionally excited to write)! I think it'll be a fun one, and I hope everyone likes it. :)_

 _Thank you so much to reviewers_ _(bored411 and trying414!) as well as those who favorited and followed! It really means so much to me. :)_


	23. Of Myths and Legends: Part I

Donna didn't think that Jay had initially noticed her when she'd entered the library, but that tended to be normal when Jay was absorbed in one of the many books she read between and even during their trips out into space and time. Right now, it was a classic in her hands, by Charles Dickens. Jay seemed reluctant to pull her eyes away from the novel when Donna cleared her throat.

Finally, her blue eyes lifted to rest on Donna and Donna held her arms out proudly. "What do you think?" she asked, gesturing to her change of clothes.

Jay took one look at the old-styled outfit and arched a brow almost playfully, looking tired despite the amount of sleep she'd caught up on in the few days since their adventures with Martha. Immediately guessing they'd be heading out to look around some new place soon, Jay closed her book after marking her place and smiled warmly at Donna, taking in her outfit.

A pale green toga, complete with sheer silken wrap to wrap around her shoulders. She'd somehow bundled her hair gracefully atop her head and looked every bit the powerful woman Jay knew she was. Jay nodded her approval. "Looks good," she declared, eyes darting longingly at her book. But she stood, stretching her arms over her head. Donna liked to dress the part far more than Martha ever had. Jay couldn't say she minded sometimes, but this would be one of the times she went as is, the simple dress she'd donned that morning easy to run in despite the sandals on her feet.

Donna frowned, looking down at herself. "Are you sure? The spaceman says we're going to meet someone important, and that we should dress well."

Said the alien man who wore the same thing every day he could, Jay wanted to say, amused, but she shook her head and told Donna firmly, "Seriously. You look fantastic, Donna."

Donna smiled in a pleased way and put her hands on her hips. "Come on, Jay, go dress up, too." Jay shook her head, and Donna leveled her with a warning look that threatened a full-blown Donna Noble rant that would leave her doing precisely what Donna wanted.

"Fine," Jay sighed at the look, figuring she might as well skip the wasted time and just go and dress.

Donna wound her arm happily through hers and led her out of the library and to the wardrobe the TARDIS kept stocked full. Once there, Donna vanished into the collection of clothes, and Jay decided to let her pick out clothes for her, lightly setting aside her necklace. The moment the stone on it left her person, Jay could easily pick up the sounds of the TARDIS humming and purring, singing her song in such a happy way that it made Jay smile.

She loved the TARDIS. The lovely machine put her at such ease that she felt safe enough to sleep anywhere. She could have curled up in the middle of a corridor and felt safe. Perhaps it was why she'd not been bothered to travel too much now. It was safe – safe for her, safe for Donna, and safe for the Doctor. No danger could come to them inside the TARDIS.

The TARDIS gave another hum, this one soft and disapproving, and Jay winced, realizing the TARDIS didn't like her method of thinking.

Donna swept back into view with different swaths of cloth, eyeing them and then Jay critically. Jay slouched back, figuring that Donna would choose well for her. And she did, throwing some over her shoulder and keeping her fingers tight on two different ones. "Which color?" she asked, holding up a blue that Jay thought was rather close to the color of her eyes and a deep, plum-like purple.

Jay sighed softly and eyed the pair, eyes darting back and forth. Finally, she indicated the blue, taking in how the cloth shimmered and seemed to be lined with gold thread. "That one," she said, and Donna waited until she'd peeled out of her clothes to help her get dressed. Jay was grateful for it; she had no idea what styles had been worn, nor did she know how to put them on herself.

When she was dressed, the skirts brushing her sandal-clad ankles, Donna dragged her out and led Jay through the TARDIS to her own room, kicking the door shut behind her. Jay curiously peered around at Donna's room. It was a mess, but not entirely. Some clothes were tossed around – laundry, something neither had had the chance to do recently. Donna's room was soft and warm, with darkened tones of various colors that didn't match yet seemed to all at the same time.

Jay rather liked it, though she did love her own just as much.

The TARDIS purred, as if thanking her for the compliment.

"There," said Donna happily, seating her on the bed and grabbing a brush. She began to work through some tangles in Jay's hair before Jay could get a word in, and Jay frowned.

"I can brush my own hair, Donna," she began, but Donna clucked her tongue smugly.

"I want to do it," she said, and that was that.

Jay thoughtfully fingered a lock of hair as Donna worked, trying to figure out what to do with the odd length. It had grown since she'd come aboard the TARDIS. Once short and ending at her jawline, it extended past her collarbones and tumbled around her shoulders in wild waves.

Jay didn't like it; she needed to get it cut again, but knew _nothing_ about how to go around asking the Doctor about it. She could, more than likely, just go up to him and simply ask, but…it seemed like such a ridiculous thing to need to ask. And she'd already caused enough trouble as of late.

"There," Donna declared, finished. Jay lightly touched her hair. Donna had swept it up as best as she could.

"Thank you," she said politely, rising to her feet. Donna beamed at her, although there was a slight furrow in her brow that told Jay she was worried about something. Donna touched her hand and Jay forced a true smile to her face, shoving her thoughts back. "So where are we going?"

"Ancient Greece!" shouted the Doctor as he spun around the console, pumping one of the controls with one hand while simultaneously jamming a button several times with the other. Jay blinked while Donna, clearly knowing precisely where they were going, clapped her hands excitedly. "Full of legends that live throughout history, until the end of the universe itself."

Jay wasn't sure if that was true or not; they'd been running from cannibals and dealing with an insane Time Lord at the time.

"They even spread to other planets!" the Doctor cheerfully informed them as he spun around the console to pull some kind of lever that sent the TARDIS into action. Jay caught herself on a piece of railing, a smile tugging at her lips at the light look the Doctor wore, his face full of excitement at the prospect of showing them Greece. "With their culture reemerging several times. There's one planet," he mused, "that I visited, where they recreate it. Except with less violence. They tried to eliminate crime, but that never works, mind you. Last I checked, it was the top of the list of 'do not visit' planets." He paused, furrowing his brow. "Well. That's not including Endinea."

Donna tipped her head in curiosity. "What's in End…" She paused, and then tried again. "Endinea?"

The Doctor threw her a grimace over his shoulder, as if the idea of going anywhere near Endinea was a dangerous one. "Spinach," he said simply as if it explained everything, and then laughed when the TARDIS jolted, as it was sometimes prone to doing. All movement stopped a moment later and he flounced around, heading straight for the doors. They trailed after him, exchanging confused looks. What could _spinach_ have to do with danger?

Apparently they were doomed to never fully understand the danger of spinach, as the Doctor threw the doors open and vanished outside, clearly determined to leave them behind to wonder if they didn't move after him. Donna was first, pace brisk in her eager excitement to investigate.

Jay hesitated, reluctant. She didn't necessarily want to leave the TARDIS, she realized, biting her lip. It was _safe_. No one would die, not while aboard the ship that was currently humming to her, singing its gentle song. Jay patted her throat, collar bone, and chest as she left the TARDIS, briefly blinded by bright light; she'd left the necklace with her pendant in the TARDIS, who would likely return it to her room.

A brisk warm breeze suddenly whisked hair from her face, and Jay focused on the world around her. The Doctor was beaming; he'd set them on a cliff facing out over nearly cerulean blue waters. Ancient ships rocked on the waves, and Jay couldn't help the smile that materialized on her face.

Even with that sense of unease, it was beautiful.

"Ancient Greece, you said?" said Donna quite suddenly in a voice that told Jay something was off. The Doctor, mid-rant about something he'd done with some other unnamed companion in the same country a few years earlier than they were in, paused to look over at her, his dark eyes confused.

"Ancient Greece," he confirmed.

"Then why," sighed Donna, sounding rather annoyed, "is there a ship _flying in the sky_."

Jay whirled around when the Doctor did in time to see one of those lovely ancient ships soar right over their heads, the oars that moved gleaming metallically in the sunlight. Even from the distance they were at, Jay could hear the rumbling of an engine. When she looked back out, following its path, she saw it landed neatly in the waters below and heading for a sandy shore, where a massive city resided, vehicles of some kind darting between them.

"Endinea?" questioned Jay, arching a brow when the Doctor groaned and threw his head back in frustration, tugging at his hair.

"No," said the Doctor, giving his TARDIS a nasty look. She snapped a door shut in response, pointed in her actions. "Not Endinea."

"Where then?" Donna put her hands on her hips. "Because you promised us Ancient Greece, Doctor!"

"You're about as good at landing the TARDIS as I am at tying my shoes," mused Jay to the Doctor, and he gave her an offended look in return. Despite their best efforts and all of Martha's hard work…Jay still had issues with it. She could do it, but her laces would usually undo themselves within minutes. The TARDIS had tried offering her alternatives in recent times, but Jay had stuck with the same shoes out of sheer stubbornness.

The Doctor flashed her a look that said she wasn't helping and then huffed, looking around. "This _is_ Ancient Greece." He paused. "Well, mostly." Another pause, followed by a grimace when Donna turned to him, narrowing her eyes. "Well. Not really."

"Then _where_?" demanded Donna, and the Doctor made a mindless gesture.

"Another planet," he admitted sheepishly, which earned a groan of protest from Donna, who complained that he'd promised them _Ancient Greece_ and not some random planet made to look like it. Hastily pushing past Donna's irritated disappointment, he said, "The question _is_ …why come here? I know I put the coordinates in. _Properly_ ," he added sharply when Jay opened her mouth.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't doubt you put them in properly," she said, "but sometimes the TARDIS has a mind of her own. So before we go and do _anything_ that will likely end up in trouble, I'm going to go and put on some normal clothes. Donna, are you –"

"I'm coming," agreed Donna with a curt nod.

The Doctor grumbled as the pair vanished into the TARDIS. "Take them around the stars, to planets no other human has ever dreamed of touching, and they want to worry about clothes." Jay popped her head out to glare, and he pointed at her firmly. "Five minutes. And not a second later."

"Aye, aye, sir," she said sarcastically, although there was a hint of humor in her gaze before she vanished inside. The Doctor felt a flicker of relief at the sight of it. She'd been rather down and serious for the last few…however days they'd been inside the TARDIS. He wasn't really sure.

When they emerged, dressed normally, the Doctor wanted to throw his hands in the air in exasperation. He'd been counting down impatiently, knowing that Donna would take his time limit seriously. So it must have been Jay's doing that at a countdown of exactly five minutes, the TARDIS door opened.

The smug tug of her lips only confirmed it.

Still, it was nice to see her doing such things again.

She'd tugged on clothes meant for warmer weather. She and Donna had both donned jeans, although Donna had gone in favor of a loose purple blouse and Jay had gone for a V-neck shirt – that clearly displayed she'd not put on the pendant she was meant to be wearing. To finish it off, her shoes, like his although black, were untied.

She gave him another smug smirk and said when he made another wild gesture of frustration, "You said five minutes. We didn't want to be late. Besides, I'm sure this," she waved at her missing necklace, "won't cause _too_ many problems. It's not usually needed."

"Donna –" the Doctor complained, and Donna rolled her eyes.

"A bunch of children, that's what you two are," she scolded as Jay crouched to tie her shoes. She kept a close eye on her movements as she did so, making sure they were tied properly. Once – just once – they'd failed to do so, and Jay had gone face-down in the middle of a very important moment in which they should have been fleeing for their lives.

The Doctor grumbled until they were done, and _finally_ , they were off. He led the way, hands pushed into the pockets of his pin-striped suit, and Jay and Donna trotted along at a half-jog behind him, half-keeping an eye on the cliff to their left while simultaneously making sure he didn't disappear on them. At least, Donna and Jay mused to one another, the weather was just right – perfect, in every way. A soft, sea-breeze, warm but not overly so, and no clouds on the horizon.

They rounded the cliff, following the edge of it down to the city, and before long, they were entering the outskirts. They walked among what must have been the slums: wooden, breaking-apart homes, dirt paths, ragged old clothes hung out to dry. The further they went into the city, the more modern-looking and wealthy it got, until they were walking among skyscrapers made of shining white material, looking even more advanced than Jay's time. Bugs whirred around them – mechanical, the Doctor noted aloud with interest when he snagged a dragonfly.

All in all, Jay thought it was beautiful. Donna did, too – until she noticed something that the other two hadn't.

"Hold on," said Donna, stopping on the corner of a paved street painted to resemble cobblestones. She turned around, looking, and the Doctor and Jay eyed her curiously. "Where are all the _people_?"

Wide-eyed, the Doctor looked, too. "Good question," he praised, tipping his head to listen. Jay thought he stuck his tongue out for a moment, but pretended he hadn't, not wanting to hear what he'd tasted in the air like some kind of snake.

"This way!" he declared a moment later, taking off at a jog. Jay and Donna rushed after him, sticking as close as they could, wary of the lack of people – until they emerged into what must have been the center of the city. It was flooded, with people in every direction, pressed together like sardines in a can. Jay hissed in disapproval when they squeezed in. No one looked at them, and Jay noted that they all looked like humans.

The Doctor kept pressing forward, following the direction they were all staring with wary fear. As if they knew what was coming and were reluctant about it. Donna had to shove a little hard when she nearly couldn't keep up, and only Jay paused to wait, the Doctor too invested in figuring out what they were all so worried about. When Donna had caught up, Jay took her hand, and then they tried to follow again.

Eventually, Jay bumped into the Doctor when she caught up and he stopped suddenly, head tilted back to watch curiously. Jay followed his gaze, and then frowned. Upon a large platform was a series of groups. Each was made up of five people, and each was about ten years younger than the last, with the youngest group looking to be near five and the oldest being around ninety-five. All of the groups surrounded a single man, who was seated calmly upon a throne of some kind. A younger man was seated to his right, looking agitated with something.

"Doctor," whispered Jay, grabbing his shoulder and dragging him down so she could speak in his ear. He stooped to make it easier, not taking his eyes off of the people on the platform. "Where the _hell_ are we?"

"Didn't I say?" he mused, glancing only momentarily at her. Returning his gaze to the platform, he murmured, "Bazrovis. A planet that was built to resemble Greece."

"Wait," hissed Jay, stiffening. "Is this the one you said was full of crime?"

He shook his head. "No," he reassured. "This is a different planet. They've got crime just as much as Earth does." He motioned for quiet when the man on the throne suddenly rose to his feet and stepped forward, speaking. His voice bellowed out as if over a microphone, amplified by some unseen technology.

"The time has come!" he cried, and silence fell over the crowd. It was so quiet, they could have heard a pin drop. Jay opened her mouth to say something to Donna, but then stilled, something brushing over her senses. She froze, listening to a strange song that began to drift past her ears, faint but heavy. It was nothing like the TARDIS's joyous song, or even Donna's, whose song filled her ears even now.

Instead, it was nearly oily, if a sound could be that. It filled her with dread as she felt it slither among the crowds, branching off into fourteen separate pieces – if she'd counted properly. She turned her head in the direction of the sound heading right for them.

"As much as it pains me to admit this, the time has come to once again choose seven young men and seven young women," the man continued, looking disappointed and upset about such a thing. The younger one who'd been sitting beside him scowled. "Once more, for the third year running, you have my sincere apologies and my deepest condolences should you be chosen. We continue to work towards a solution, but have yet to be successful."

"Doctor!" Jay breathed, snagging his arm and _yanking,_ her body shuddering in revulsion when it began to near. He stumbled a little and frowned at her in disapproval, but she didn't care, tugging again frantically. "We shouldn't have come here."

"Jay?" Donna said softly, confused.

Her fingers dug into the Doctor's arm as hard as they could, her eyes growing wild with panic when that oily sound suddenly rocketed forward, as if latching onto the one it had selected. "Doctor," Jay hissed as he tried to pry her fingers away, "can you hear it?"

He stilled. "Hear what?"

"The sound, the nasty, ugly sound," she breathed, locking eyes with him for only a moment before she was jerking away when it got too close for her liking. She stumbled into someone, who huffed in annoyance, but the Doctor grabbed her arm and yanked her back over, away from them. In the brief moment of movement, the sound had vanished, leaving only silence in its wake as the others vanished, too. She snapped wide eyes up to the Time Lord. "Did you hear it?"

"No," he said and frowned, really wishing she'd worn the pendant he'd had made specifically for this reason. Then again…if the sound was as she described it, it meant nothing good. At least they were aware of it.

"If you have been selected," continued the man in charge, not noticing any of the commotion, "then step forward and join me."

Murmurs swept through the air as people turned to one another, as if searching, and the Doctor stood on his toes, looking around as if he knew what he was looking for. A sob filled the air as one woman tried to hold onto her husband's hand when he stumbled forward, looking shocked. Another woman – no, Jay realized when she saw her youthful face, a girl – bravely began to push her way through the crowds.

"Doctor," said Donna suddenly, voice rather small, and Jay turned to look at her worriedly. The Doctor did, too, and they blinked as Donna extended a nervous hand to them, showing them the strange mark that had curved its way around her fingers. "Doctor, what is that?"

"The mark," a boy of perhaps nine or ten said beside her, peering at the mark without care for personal space, fascinated. He gave Donna a smile full of missing teeth, his dark eyes warm and reassuring. "You've been selected, miss. Me, too." He showed her his own mark upon his small hand. Shocked, Donna turned a wide-eyed look on the Doctor. Before she could say anything, the boy was tugging her forward. "Come on, miss, we have to go up there. If we don't, the marks hurt us."

"Doctor," said Donna in a panic, and he was quick to reassure her.

"Just do what he says, and we'll be nearby," promised the Doctor, snagging Jay's hand and towing her after Donna and the child. Donna looked relieved. "We'll be right there. And we'll figure out what's going on, and how to fix it."

Because there was always something going on. There _had_ to be with the responses of some of the men and women as well as their families. Why else would someone's heartbroken sobs be filling their ears? Why else would the people who lined up as they were told look as if they'd accepted a fate that the Doctor, Jay, and Donna knew nothing about?

The Doctor pushed through the people, who parted ways for Donna and the boy. Jay kept up, her fingers tight in his, and then stopped beside him at the edge, right where Donna could see them. She looked worried, but reassured by the sight of them.

Gasps suddenly filled the air. Murmurs swept through the crowds, and Jay glanced around. When she found that they were all staring at something, she followed their gaze, and then narrowed her own. The young man on the platform had stepped forward, a grim look on his face – although Jay detected a bit of triumph behind it.

He held his hand up when the older turned to look at him, stunned by the sight of the mark that had woven among his fingers. "It appears," said the young man gently, "I've been selected as well, Father."

The man's father looked stunned, as if he'd not thought this would happen. Jay studied both of them, unable to figure out if they were trustworthy or not. With the dismayed look that materialized on the older man's face, he was fine, but what about the younger?

Wails and cries filled the air as the people around them realized that this young man would be joining the others. Jay wondered who he was to earn such a response. Clearly someone important…

The young man smiled warmly at the people before him, his light eyes bright even as the groups on the platform with he and his father exchanged nervous looks. The younger groups seemed simply confused, while the older groups looked worried. A man whose face was creased with deep, sun-kissed wrinkles stepped forward, grasping at his arm. The man gently took his hand to steady him. "Theseus," croaked the man, "what of the throne? You are heir; it cannot be passed onto anyone but the crown's bloodline."

 _Theseus_ , Jay thought, wondering why the name rung a bell. The Doctor looked fascinated when she looked at him. She considered asking about it, but decided against it for the time being. She'd ask later.

Theseus gave the old man a comforting smile. "I still intend to honor the throne, Archimedes, worry not. This will be the last sacrifice that is sent to please that fool."

Jay fought the urge to squirm; this was really, _really_ bothering her. Ringing bells left and right, trying to tell her something she couldn't grasp.

Theseus turned to face his people with a bright smile. "I will ensure that all return home – safe and alive."

Donna looked even more worried by the idea as people began applauding and cheering for him, seeking her friends. Jay smiled faintly at her, unsure of what was to happen, but the smile didn't seem to comfort her friend much. It only made Donna shift anxiously, looking between she and the Doctor as if they would help her get away from all of the others that were present. She looked so at odds with them in her modern clothes while they wore a series cut to resemble old Greek clothes albeit not entirely.

"Doctor," Jay said, tugging on his hand as she gave into impatience, and he leaned in, so she had an easier time speaking to him over the noise. "Theseus. The name. I've heard it somewhere before."

"Theseus is a name from old Greek myths, although most myths tend to originate from something that isn't entirely a myth itself," he murmured back, looking a little worried.

It clicked then, and Jay stared in shock at the man. Theseus had stepped back to argue with his father, not seeming to notice as the people of the crowds began to disperse, some crying and most relieved that they'd not been selected. The groups atop the platform split as well, until only the selected, the Doctor, Jay, Theseus, and his father remained.

Theseus, Jay remembered, was known for the minotaur myth. He'd been sent down with other sacrifices for his country into King Minos's labyrinth, and had succeeded in killing the minotaur with the help of a princess of Crete, who'd given him a ball of golden twine. She'd been thanked in the form of abandonment. Jay winced, realizing it wasn't a favorite myth of hers.

The Doctor suddenly towed her over to Donna and the boy, who was bouncing on the balls of his feet, a bundle of energy. He couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve, and the Doctor knelt to his level, offering a warm smile as he said, "I'm the Doctor, and this is Donna and Jay. What's your name?"

"Lycus," said the boy, cocking his head as he glanced between them in interest.

"Could you tell us what you know about these marks? What are they for?"

The boy blinked. "Don't you know? The selection. For the sacrifices."

"We're new here. Travelers." The Doctor grinned and then gestured to Theseus and his father. "Is it bad? To be selected? And what happens to those who are sacrificed?"

Lycus furrowed his brow and glanced between the Doctor, Donna, and Jay again, this time with confusion, as if he couldn't believe they didn't know what happened to those selected. He glanced up at Donna a second time and finally decided to explain, bouncing again. "We are sent to the Creature's lair and he feasts upon our soul before he devours our flesh. It's an honor to be chosen." He glanced at a sobbing woman nearby, who looked at her marked hand in misery. "Well, for some of us. My family will get a lot of treasures for me being selected."

Donna's face went white, and Jay took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. The Doctor would ensure nothing happened to her. "The Creature," Jay said, her voice soft. "What is it? Where did it come from?"

Lycus shrugged and said, "No one knows. It came a few years ago and told the king that if he didn't do what it said, it would tear our entire kingdom to pieces. King Aegeus has been trying to figure something out with the Council of Fives, but no one can figure out what to do. Prince Theseus said we simply have to kill it and we'll be freed, but anyone who fights back is killed immediately."

The Doctor nodded slowly, digging through the vast knowledge he had of the various species throughout the universe. There weren't enough clues to understand what he was looking at yet though, so he said, "Do you know what it looks like?"

Lycus shook his head again. "Only King Aegeus has seen it," he informed the Doctor. "Sorry," he added when the Doctor fought back a look of disappointment and rocked back a little. "It's…it's not so bad." He looked between the Doctor, Jay, and Donna. "Our families will be paid well for our sacrifices."

"Oh, Lycus," Jay breathed, heart aching as she thought of her little brother. "No family should be forced to sacrifice someone, let alone a child your age." She glanced to the Doctor anxiously. "What do we do? Can Donna refuse it?"

"Donna," the Doctor said, holding out his hand for hers. Donna placed it there when the Doctor had stood back up, nervous. He scanned the marks there with his sonic screwdriver. He was puzzled. The technology involved with something like this…it was difficult to find. Mostly because it was a mashup of so many different species' technology that he didn't know where to begin.

Whoever had done this was clever.

"We have to go," said Lycus suddenly, pointing to where the others who'd been selected were being herded together by a few men and women who were clearly guards, supporting nasty looking weapons with sharp points. "If we don't, they'll drag us over and we'll be lashed."

Donna looked worried enough that Jay turned to Lycus and demanded, "Is it only the selected who can go? Could I accompany you?"

"Jay," the Doctor warned, but Lycus blinked and answered, "Yes. But only to the Gates. After the Gates, you'll have to remain. No one else can get through." He paused, furrowing his brow. "No one's ever really gone with though…it's not usually something someone wants to do."

"Then I'll do it." Jay snapped her head around when the Doctor huffed his disapproval. "Go get the TARDIS. I'll stay with Donna, and then you can come get us and everyone else. If we get them in the TARDIS, they'll have to be safe, right?"

"Yes," said the Doctor slowly, "but I'm not sure I want the TARDIS anywhere near such technology. It's complicated enough that it could mess with her and un-calibrate some of her functions–"

"Do it anyways, and I'll help you fix everything myself." Jay lifted her chin as some guards made a call for Lycus and Donna. "I'm not letting her go alone, Doctor, and who knows what'll happen if we make a run for it right now. That mark would hurt her, that's what Lycus said."

The Doctor debated, pressing his lips together. Finally, dark eyes irritated, he snapped, "Fine. _Fine_. But take my sonic and use the fifty-third setting every half-hour to let me know where you are. Do _not_ lose it." He handed it over and Jay tucked it into her pocket confidently. "Donna," he continued, pressing a fond kiss to her forehead, "we'll figure this out."

Donna, putting on a brave face and looking as if she wasn't quite as worried with Jay accompanying her, nodded. "We'll learn what we can and let you know," she promised, and the Doctor beamed, approving.

"I'll be back," he promised, and then turned and bolted off, disappearing around a corner just as a set of guards approached Lycus, Jay, and Donna. Theseus accompanied them, a frown on his face.

"It's time to gather," said Theseus, light-colored eyes darting between the two who'd been selected before curiously alighting on Jay. "And you…you've not been selected. What are you still doing here?"

Jay met his gaze evenly. "I'm accompanying her to the Gates," she said simply, gripping Donna's hand tightly in her own. She stared him down until he looked away, seeming fairly pleased with her response for some reason.

"You're welcome to accompany us to the Gates, Miss…?"

"Jay. My name's Jay," was all she said, not sure she wanted him to know her full name. "And this is Donna and Lycus." She smiled in a friendly manner at Lycus, and the young boy smiled back.

"Miss Jay," finished Theseus. "Come," he continued to all three of them, "we must go to the boats if we are to make it on time. It's a long trip to the island, and we have no time to waste. I fully intend to end this slaughter," he added to Lycus when Lycus set off towards the other, falling into step beside the boy when Jay and Donna had begun to follow, exchanging nervous looks. "One way or another, this will end."

Just to be safe, Jay fired off a signal with the sonic screwdriver.

* * *

"I don't think I've really ever been on a boat," said Jay as she and Donna stepped onto the shockingly large ship. She could feel engines vibrating somewhere in its depths, and she paused to frown, remembering that these boats flew. "I mean, there was the _Titanic_ , but…"

She was suddenly very unhappy to be on a water-based ship intending to fly through the sky.

Donna smiled slightly, enjoying the sights around them regardless of what was happening. It _was_ a beautiful planet. She somewhat wished the Doctor was there to tell them all about it in his prattling way. "Gramps and I talked about that. I didn't believe him at first."

"Oh, it happened," mumbled Jay with a grimace. "And it wasn't a fun trip. For either of us." She rocked back on her heels. "It's when we met Wilf though, so at least something good came out of it." She grinned at Donna and then started forward, firing off another signal from the sonic as the Doctor had instructed. She hoped he at least met them at their destination.

Donna hummed in response and then looked around for Lycus, who'd gone to comfort the others aboard the ship as they closed the ramp that had allowed them onto it. Lycus was speaking happily to a girl who was only a few years older than him. She looked upset, but was smiling through teary eyes at Lycus, and Donna nodded at him. "He's a good one."

"Yes," Jay agreed. "He reminds me of Lucas, my brother." A flash of grief made her grimace. She missed her little brother.

Donna, noticing, offered gently, "Maybe we could go visit him after this?"

"Maybe, but probably not." Jay smiled sadly, remembering her last visit with him. "I didn't get along with my mother and father. Mostly my father. My mother was okay, I suppose, when we left, but…"

Donna patted her arm comfortingly and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sure he's doing well though, if he's anything like you." Jay grinned at that, amused, and Donna smiled back before jolting in surprise when the ship shuddered beneath them. Jay peered over the edge as the ship began to lift away from the ground, engines rumbling and roaring beneath them.

"Here we go," said Jay under her breath. She felt a distinct ache in her head and wished she'd remembered to grab the necklace with the stone the Doctor had given her on it. Who knew what chaos they'd encounter? And there _would_ be chaos, there always was.

Rubbing her temples, Jay steadied her feet and turned away from the edge, forcing back memories of the falling _Titanic_. She had hated that trip in particular, as unintentional as it had been. Not only had Martha just left, but there had been so many deaths…Jay hoped to every god that was worshipped in the universe they traveled that there wouldn't be that many if any deaths this time.

She and Donna found a quiet place to sit away from everyone else, waiting patiently to get to their destination. Every now and then, Jay would fire off a signal, just as the Doctor had instructed. The sound of the sonic screwdriver caught the attention of Theseus just once when he was patrolling the boat, checking in on all of those present, but Jay and Donna were quick to dismiss the sound as a figment of the man's imagination.

Much to their dismay – they both thought him rather arrogant and forceful, something they'd discussed in their time sitting there – Theseus took the conversation as an invitation to join them. His eyes were alight with curiosity as he took them in, sitting a few feet away from them on the deck of the ship.

"Where are you from?" he demanded quite suddenly, voice brisk and sharp as if he expected a full answer regardless of what they wanted. "Your clothes do not match those of my people, and you look as if you don't understand entirely what is happening."

He wasn't wrong. Donna glanced to Jay, who shrugged, and decided to answer with care. "We were visiting," Donna said carefully, "and were caught up unexpectedly in what was happening."

Theseus looked to Jay for clarification, and Jay simply nodded, agreeing with what Donna had said and marking her words away for if she was interrogated about it later. They needed to carefully keep their story straight – at least until the Doctor got back. For some reason, he was an expert at diverting people's attention away from the many lies they tended to tell them.

"And your friend?" he said, making a mindless gesture to the sky. "There was a man with you, was there not? He was rather easy to pick out from the crowd."

Donna let Jay cover the question this time. Jay pressed her lips together as she thought of an answer. Finally, she said, "His name is John, and he was rather curious about what had happened. He went to go and do some research about it."

Theseus looked shocked. "You truly don't know anything about what is happening here?"

"We were just visiting," Donna repeated slowly, trying to drive the point home. "We didn't intend to stay for longer than a few hours." She glared irritably at Theseus, not wanting to repeat herself a third time. Luckily, Theseus seemed to get the message and turned to a new subject.

"Well, worry not," he said confidently. "I will see to it that we all return home safely. Your friend will have barely touched his research by the time we return home." He gave them a grin and then sat back, as if he fully expected to be praised for such a matter.

Jay decided then and there that she didn't like him very much, although from the way he kept smiling at her…

Well, it was like the smile on the faces of the young men and women who'd approached her father with offers of marriage in exchange for even a portion of the O'Connors family fortune.

In other words, she thought that he saw someone who could be of use to him.

And she really didn't like it.

* * *

Loud voices drew them from the naps they'd fallen into, and Donna and Jay jolted awake immediately. The first thing Jay did was fire a signal on the sonic screwdriver. Donna smiled faintly at her as they realized the ship had come to a halt and that a massive mountainous island was sprawled out before them.

"Off!" shouted one of the guards. "Get off!"

"Rude," muttered Donna, even as she searched for Lycus. She was unable to find him before the guards started shooing them off. They were shuffled off the ship and bunched with the others, and it was then that Lycus squeezed through a few adults and took Donna's hand tightly in his, starting to look a little worried.

"I think those," he said, pointing to a series of massive archways crafted from stone and earth, "are the Gates."

"I think you're entirely right," said Jay with a firm nod. She took a deep, uncertain breath. That meant she'd be left behind, while Donna went ahead without her soon. Jay hoped the signal she'd fired off would keep the Doctor on track. She didn't like the idea of letting Donna go on without her.

Donna seemed to have come to the same idea, because she was beginning to get more worried-looking. Jay smiled comfortingly at her and whispered, "Remember, the Doctor should eventually show up and we'll be there to help you as quickly as we can."

"I'll be fine," Donna said, trying to sound braver than she felt. She gave Jay a weak smile and nodded at Lycus. "Besides, I've got him, and he seems to know more than the spaceman."

That drew a small laugh from Jay, and she turned to look when Theseus's voice suddenly rang out. He'd climbed onto a rock that left him standing above them all; Jay didn't really like that all that much. This man had too much arrogance – too much pride. He thought too much of himself and his position and considered himself so very clearly above them all.

"I will slay this beast," he told those before him, face full of determination. "Trust in me and we'll all return home safely."

The people murmured in relief, trusting the prince of their lands, and Jay only pressed her lips into a hard line as he climbed down and practically basked in their warmth as he passed through them. They thanked and whispered to him, their eyes full of tears regardless of whether they were male or female, old or young.

"Time to go!" shouted a guard, eyeing the sky and judging how much of the day was left.

Theseus nodded and asked for a moment. He nudged his way through the group until he stood before Donna, Lycus, and Jay. "This is where you must leave us," he told Jay, and she fought the urge to step away when he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Jay, and I hope to see you no later than this evening."

Jay nodded curtly, reminded again of those that had approached she and her father so many times during the formal parties the O'Connors family had held. "I hope so as well," she said calmly, withdrawing her hand and tucking both behind her back. She glanced at Donna. "And I hope to see my friend, too. I don't know if our missing companion would appreciate if anything happened to her, so I'm counting on you to ensure that nothing does." She gave him her best replica of the shark-toothed smile her father had given investors that hadn't done as he'd told them to do with their money – ones who she now realized had gone conveniently missing days later.

She didn't miss the odd look that flickered across his face. "I'll do my best."

Jay turned to Donna and dragged her in for a tight, reassuring hug. "Don't worry, Donna, we'll figure this out," she whispered in her ear, and Donna hugged her back tightly. "I'll see you later, okay? Take this," she added, hiding her motion as she passed the sonic screwdriver over with narrowing eyes. Donna hid it in her pant pockets quickly. "Fire off those signals. It's more important the Doctor find you wherever you're going than me right now. I won't let anyone die again because I was stupid and didn't hand over the sonic screwdriver."

"Jay..." Donna frowned at her. Before she could say much more, there was a warning shout in their direction. "You and that twig better come find me," Donna said fiercely before pulling away when the guards ordered them forward. She exchanged one final worried look with Jay, and then was led away by a suddenly uncertain-looking Lycus.

Jay took a deep breath, feeling rather lonely as she stood in silence before the Gates.

* * *

 _Ey! An update, and an original one at that!_

 _I legitimately dislike Theseus in Greek myths, but the story of Ariadne is one of my favorites. Sadly, they go hand in hand._

 _trying414, regarding the Day of the Doctor...I've not yet included anything for that, but believe me when I say I have plans for it. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (bored411, trying414, brmngirl, and lautaro94!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I truly do appreciate you._


	24. Of Myths and Legends: Part II

Donna's hands were tight on Lycus's as they passed through arch after arch, following an oddly wide path that looked as if it had been crossed for generations for this same purpose. She locked that note away, remembering what the Doctor had once mentioned to her: _"Any little thing – anything that seems unnoticeable – could mean something."_

The thought of the Doctor – and of Jay – comforted Donna when they came to a large looking cavern. It's massive maw reached dozens of feet above their heads and was just as wide. The inside vanished into darkness, and Donna wondered what was further down that path they were being forced to follow. Lycus's fingers tightened on hers, trembling, and Donna shook his hand away in favor of wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders.

Gone was the brave boy who'd taken it upon himself to make everyone else feel better. He'd been replaced with a scared child who wanted nothing more to go home, and Donna couldn't blame him. She wanted to go straight back to the TARDIS and never walk out when she felt the malicious intent in the air.

Sharp eyes watched as Theseus stepped away from the others to speak with the guards. Jay had clearly not trusted him, so Donna wouldn't either unless he proved himself worthy of trust.

Lycus tugged on her hand and Donna bent slightly so that he could say in a small voice, "Do you think Prince Theseus will help us like he says? I miss my mother. I want to go home."

Donna wrapped her arm around his shoulders in a comforting squeeze. "I don't know," she said honestly, "but the Doctor will figure something out. Jay, too."

Lycus didn't look convinced, but nodded and leaned into her. Donna didn't mind at all, even taking comfort herself in the gentle weight on her hip. She looked around at the others, noticing how a few had seemed to become numb to the world around them. Those people's eyes were glazed over, as if their thoughts were far, far away. Others were quietly looking around with calm interest, as if they didn't seem to mind what was happening.

Donna's head snapped around when Theseus suddenly called, "It's time to enter!" He soothingly extended his arms to those before him, and the guards behind him exchanged quick looks when a few people gave wails and whimpers of terror. "This will end," he told them all with a soothing tone that only served to frustrate Donna, "and it will end _today_."

Not trusting his words a bit, Donna did as Jay had done and pressed her thumb down on the sonic screwdriver, listening to the soothing buzz of that odd alien technology for a brief moment before hiding it away again.

* * *

The Doctor whirled around his TARDIS's console, grumbling at the attitude she was giving him when she sparked in frustration. "I know, I know," he snapped, slamming down a lever, "but we need the whole picture first!"

There was something he was missing, the Doctor just knew it. But he couldn't figure out what it was! Frustrated as the TARDIS began to move, rocking beneath his feet a little more violently than normal to express her unhappiness, the Doctor ran over what little he knew. The marks on the people's hands…on _Donna's_ hand…he couldn't recall having ever seen something like that. Perhaps it was a living being, under the influence of whoever controlled it?

And then there was the thing every person on that trip but Theseus seemed to be frightened of. The Doctor knew something was off there, lying just at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't figure out what it was just yet, and it was pestering him relentlessly. It didn't help that there was no one around _but_ the cranky TARDIS to bounce ideas off.

He scowled a little at that, still bothered that Jay had accompanied Donna. While he approved of his friends' determination to help one another, it did make matters hard when he didn't have another at least semi-clever mind to bounce different ideas off of. Sometimes all it took was just one word, and he'd have the solution.

Admittedly, he did somewhat like showing off as well, as the flare gave a more persistent urge to get things right, but that was neither here nor there.

And certainly not important at the moment!

He slapped a hand on the console to make sure the TARDIS was paying attention as he began to scan for any sign of his sonic screwdriver. It took a few moments for anything to happen, but he grinned when he _did_ find the signal. The Doctor set the coordinates and then began formulating a plan as the TARDIS launched into action, heading for that specific spot.

He'd not found anything useful just yet, although there really was something that was off and warning him that he was missing something. He was sure that just one little slice of information on what that missing piece was would clarify it all. He hoped that when he picked up Jay, she'd be able to throw something in that would help him piece it together, and if she couldn't, then when he got to Donna the three of them could figure it out together.

The second she'd landed, the Doctor was sprinting out of the TARDIS. He'd managed to lock directly on to the sonic screwdriver, and if he was right and Jay had been left behind by the others as he'd heard would happen, right at the Gates, then they'd take the time to consider what to do next before acting.

He really, _really_ didn't like not knowing.

The Doctor threw open the door to the TARDIS, mouth open to yell for her, and then paused.

A group of people, some of which he recognized, were staring open-mouthed at he and his TARDIS. Not one person, but several. Donna looked relieved to see him, as did Lycus, although Lycus was clearly still trying to put on a brave face. The Doctor felt a flash of sympathy for the boy, who was most certainly terrified but trying to hide that fear. _Smart boy._

"Where's Jay?" he said immediately, not having expected to see the group so soon. Actually, he'd not expected the guards and Theseus, who looked particularly interested in the TARDIS, to take a single glimpse at his precious blue box.

Donna held up the sonic screwdriver. "She gave it to me. She's back at the start of the Gates."

"I told her to keep it," he complained, annoyed that no one ever seemed to listen to him. "Well, come on, then. Just you," he added to Donna pointedly, glaring at her. He paused when Lycus squeaked. "And you," he decided, still rather fond of Lycus and his braveness. "We'll go pick up Jay and figure out a few things. I couldn't figure anything out on my own; nine hundred years, and I'm finally going senile," he muttered under his breath, still agitated with the matter.

"What on earth is that?" demanded a guard, but the Doctor pinned him with a glare as Donna ushered Lycus away, looking relieved that she'd be away from whatever danger they'd been heading into. He wasn't in any mood to answer questions for people who he knew had pointed weapons at Donna and Jay.

"In, in, in!" he declared, ushering Lycus in when he took a little too long, and Donna shot him a rather exasperated, irritated look over her shoulder. Lycus yelped as he tripped inside, but the Doctor didn't seem to notice, slamming the doors shut behind him. "Right!" he said, feeling better now that he didn't have to worry about what he said. "Where's Jay?"

"The Gates, like I said," Donna said firmly, and the Doctor threw her an exasperated look. He had no idea where the Gates were! The TARDIS understood, however, and when he threw her into motion, she found the coordinates herself. The Doctor briefly patted her fondly in gratitude before whirling when Lycus squealed.

"What _is_ this?! This isn't like _our_ ships," the boy declared, eyes wide with wonder as he studied the central, moving and glowing column. His hand tightened on Donna's.

"That's because," the Doctor said, rushing to the other side when the console blared warningly. He slapped a button before finishing his sentence. "Your civilization doesn't have the technology mine did." He smiled a little when the boy began to bounce excitedly, his fear almost immediately driven away by the fascination he was feeling over the TARDIS. He rather liked Lycus, he thought again as the TARDIS landed.

"Donna," he said, already setting the next set of coordinates to take them back to where the others had been. "Bring Jay inside, would you?"

"Sure," she agreed readily. Donna shook away Lycus's hand. Lycus looked a little concerned, but not enough to follow her. Instead, as Donna slipped from the TARDIS, already searching, Lycus focused his attention on the console and curiously looked at the different controls.

Outside, Donna peered around and searched for their missing blonde friend. She knew the area she'd stepped into. It was outside the Gates, where they'd left Jay hours before. She began to worry for a few moments that Jay had disappeared – and that she'd have to tell the Doctor, who she knew to be fiercely fond and protective of his companions, that Jay was gone – when she spotted Jay grinning, rocking upright from where she'd been sitting on the ground with her back to a rock.

"It worked!" called Jay, and Donna beamed in relief. She'd been frantically worried for Jay the entire time they'd been apart – mostly because she held no love or trust for Theseus, who'd expressed so much interest in her. When Jay had come over, she wrapped the younger woman in a tight hug. Jay returned it, and then pulled back with a smile on her face. "So what are we doing next?" she asked. "You've still got those marks on your hand."

"I don't know," admitted Donna, turning. They walked back towards the TARDIS, arm in arm. "He didn't seem to know much though. Daft alien, I thought he'd know more by the time he showed up."

Jay chuckled and then swept through the TARDIS doors, her eyes sweeping the console room. "Doctor!" she said happily, and he flashed her and Donna a grin, relieved to have them both safely back in the TARDIS. His grin became a frown when the second Donna was in, Jay slammed and locked the TARDIS door – as if worried that one moment longer out there would result in something bad happening.

He made a mental note to address that with her later, when Donna's hand still wasn't decorated with a weird mark. He rested back on the console, dubbing them secure for the time being. "Alright, Lycus," he said as Donna and Jay came to rejoin them. The Doctor threw the boy another smile, trying not to frighten him even as he felt a flicker of impatience and frustration that he didn't know immediately what was going on. "What do you know about those marks?"

Lycus shrugged, showing the Doctor his hand so the Doctor could take a closer look at it. The Doctor held out a hand and Donna passed him his sonic screwdriver, knowing what he wanted. The Doctor didn't hesitate to take a hold of Lycus's hand and began scanning the marks as he'd done with Donna, this time trying to gather more details and information than he'd had previously.

"Well, Doctor?" asked Donna when no one said anything for a few minutes, looking rather impatient. "Anything?"

"I've seen this somewhere before," he said, puzzled. "I don't know where though." He looked rather agitated by that admission. _I'm getting old,_ he wanted to say but refrained from doing so. He didn't want to admit that in front of Lycus, who'd probably question it. And even if he was only a child, the Doctor didn't necessarily want to let anyone know just what he was if they didn't already know.

Just as he'd expected, Jay calmly asked, her blue eyes sharp with interest, "Well, what _do_ you know?"

 _This_ , he wanted to tell them, was why he liked to keep people around. Outside of his companions' determination to ensure that he didn't travel alone. He understood why they felt that way, of course, and tended to agree with them about it – at least, in this body he did.

"It's old," he said, his dark eyes distant as he thought it over. "But not too old. It's from a galaxy that's older than this one, but newer than most." He looked puzzled, trying to remember which one.

Noticing, Jay encouraged him past the point he was stuck on. "What else? I mean, we can see what it looks like." Donna looked amused when Jay pointedly took her hand and began studying the marks herself. "I can still hear it, just nowhere near like earlier, and black. Wispier than any tattoos I've seen, although they certainly have gotten close. More like smoke than anything, actually. And the sounds they made…they were horrible, but quiet, mingling with something larger."

The Doctor nodded slowly, furrowing his brow, and muttered, frustrated with the word on the tip of his tongue, "They give off weak signals, indicating – _HA_! Jayden, you're brilliant!" he suddenly cried, making them all jump a foot in the air. He gave a wild grin as he pressed a kiss to Jay's forehead before rushing around the console of the TARDIS, already throwing a lever and typing something in. He spun the screen that topped it around so he could see.

Jay and Donna exchanged a quick look and then flew around to join him. Lycus lingered where he was, worried by what they were screaming about and fascinated by the gentle hum of the TARDIS around them. As Jay leaned over his shoulder, she asked, "What are the marks then?"

"Do you remember the Luxari?" demanded the Doctor, and while Donna looked rather confused by the mention of such aliens, Jay's eyes flew wide.

"They're like the Luxari? So Donna's got an alien on her?"

"I have a _what_?" cried Donna, and the Doctor bit back a grin at the brief flash of fury that crossed her expression. "You better start talking, spaceman, or I'll kick you into the next black hole I see out of this box!"

Jay huffed, frowning. "Don't insult the TARDIS, she didn't do anything." Her complaint was accompanied by a hum of agreement on the TARDIS's behalf.

"You get to see black holes?" Lycus questioned eagerly, but the Doctor quickly brushed past the implication he saw forming on the boy's face. He didn't have time to take the boy to see a blackhole, nor did he really want to keep him around for longer than necessary. He had a family to go home to, after all.

"Not exactly," the Doctor said quickly, not excited by the idea of Donna's temper being taken out on him. It had happened here and there since the red-haired woman had come to join he and Jay upon his ship, and he couldn't say he liked the idea very much. Donna glared. "You don't have an alien on you, Donna," he sighed, and then tapped the screen. "Well, you don't have an alien with intelligence attached to you. Well, at least, it has a very low level of intelligence."

Through clenched teeth, Donna said darkly, "But it's still an alien."

"…yes, it's still an alien," he admitted, and she made a sound of fury. "On the bright side," the Doctor said hastily, showing her the screen. "It's very easy to get off. The only reason this planet's population doesn't is because they don't know anymore. Jay," he turned to his friend, "go and get some flour."

"…flour?" she questioned suspiciously, not trusting what she was hearing. "Like…cooking flour?"

"Yes," he said, "cooking flour."

Jay blinked at him in disbelief, then shrugged. "Okay!" She disappeared down the TARDIS hall to fetch the flour. The Doctor gently took Donna's hand in his to study the black marks on Donna's hand. Though she looked angry, the Doctor knew better. "Don't worry so much," he told her quietly, "it's not going to hurt you. It was just marking you for something else."

"I gathered that," muttered Donna, although there was some relief in her voice.

"The Creature," offered Lycus rather unhelpfully. "We're sacrificed to the Creature."

"Tell us about the Creature." Jay came back with a rather large bag of flour, looking suspicious about what he intended to do with it. The Doctor indicated she should set it down on the captain's seat, and then pulled Donna over to it as he spoke. "Everything you can about the Creature, Lycus."

"Well," Lycus said as he followed them, watching curiously, "It's like I said before. None of us have ever seen it. Only the king. It threatened to kill us all unless we sent sacrifices every year. So we do what it tells us."

The Doctor locked this information away. "And Theseus wants to kill it, yes?" He wasn't entirely excited by that either. Killing wasn't something he endorsed, no matter what people did, although there had been some cases that he refused to admit had gotten fairly close.

"Yes," confirmed Lycus, his gaze meeting the Doctor's. The Doctor paused, studying Lycus a little closer. There was something there…and just as quickly, it was gone, and Lycus looked just as he had before. Shaking it off, the Doctor turned his attention back onto Jay.

"I grabbed the biggest bag we had," Jay said firmly after setting it down. She winced, shaking her wrists out, and he gave her a sharp look. "I'm fine," she said with a small eyeroll. "I'm not going to collapse any time soon that I know of. What do you want the flour for?"

"Donna, stick your hand in the flour," he told Donna, ignoring Jay's question while simultaneously answering it.

Donna stared at him blankly for a few moments, debating whether or not she actually wanted to listen to him. But, she supposed he knew what he was doing most of the time – a lie, she knew, and one that she was even telling herself! – and pushed her hand right into the bag of flour. She felt whatever it was leave her hand with ease, although she didn't think she'd be able to describe the sensation aloud. It was odd, regardless, and Donna was pleased to find that when she withdrew her hand, it was gone.

"How'd it come off?" asked Lycus with interest, but his question was ignored by the Doctor, who instead focused his attention on the bag of flour. He curiously peered into it, and Donna fought the urge to do the same. She didn't want to see the thing that had been attached to her hand, she decided, nor did she really care to know what the Doctor planned to do with it. She was just glad it was _off_ …

Her thoughts were distracted when the Doctor pulled something from the flour, covered in the dust-like substance. Not because the Doctor had removed it, but because Jay uttered a very loud swear that had her instinctively covering Lycus's ear, even as Jay dropped to the TARDIS floor in a crouch with her hands pressed so tightly over her ears that she hissed in pain.

"Jay?" the Doctor said in alarm, shoving the thing back into the flour and lurching over. His hands were still covered in flour when he knelt beside her, his fingers hesitantly moving to push her wrists away. Jay's face was as white as the flour as she hesitantly dropped them, her lips parting in shock.

"Sorry," she breathed. "It was screaming."

The Doctor furrowed his brow, glancing at the bag of flour, and Donna dropped her hands from Lycus's ears with a concerned frown. "Those…that species doesn't make a sound, Jay," the Doctor said uneasily, and Donna studied his expression closely.

Not for the first time, she saw flickers of something that that she didn't think even the Doctor himself realized was there. He'd done it more and more as time went on, and even more so since Jay had suddenly found herself struggling with the aftermath of Pompeii – something expected although she'd clearly not been prepared for it – and Jenny. Deeper concern than he let anyone else know he felt, fondness, and something else. Something frantic that he hid with a simple quirk of his brow.

Donna would be the first to claim she wasn't anything special. She couldn't read minds, or hear things like Jay. Jay had told her otherwise when she'd confessed such feelings to her, but Donna didn't believe her.

But even Donna Noble could see that the Doctor suspected there was more to what Jay was dealing with than he let on.

Nevertheless, Donna said nothing, deciding to confront him about it later, when Jay wasn't around. He'd not said anything for a reason, so she'd not either. Instead, she focused on Jay's response when the younger woman said hoarsely, "Well, it certainly made a sound to me. Just…give me a moment. If you need to look at it, I need to go get my necklace."

"You should have been wearing it to begin with," he chided, but sent her on her way. He waved Lycus over, and Lycus eagerly pushed his hand into the bag of flour, leaving it there for a few moments. Donna moved to stand beside the Doctor. Lowering her voice so Lycus wouldn't hear as he straightened, fleeting gaze meeting hers, Donna asked quietly, "Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't see why not," was his quick answer, but the frown on his face didn't dissipate.

"Nice try, spaceman," she said sharply, and he winced, hearing the implied threat.

"She'll be fine," he said a little more confidently. "I'll do some more tests when we're finished here and back in the time vortex. It's been a while since I've done some anyways. Something new might have popped up somewhere." He glanced over as Lycus shook flour from his hand and curiously touched his tongue to it, flinching and spitting in disgust. While a smile tugged at Donna's mouth, the Doctor's gaze hardened. Donna wasn't sure if the look had to do with Jay's situation or with Lycus, although she couldn't imagine for the life of her why he'd be upset with the boy. Perhaps both?

"There's really nothing you can do to help her?" She'd asked the question a dozen times before, and he gave her the same answer he'd always given: a quick, sad look that was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Mostly, Donna supposed, because Jay had returned, her blue eyes shimmering with curiosity now that she wasn't worried about hearing anything suddenly scream. She looked a little like her old self, even.

"So," said Jay as the Doctor, sure she'd be safe from hearing any more unnecessary sounds that startled her, tied the bag of flour shut with a hair tie that he took from her wrist. "What are we going to do now? We know what those things are," she gestured to the flour, eyeing it suspiciously and looking grateful that the Doctor wasn't inclined to pull them out again, "but we don't know what the Creature is, nor do we know what it's doing or what it wants."

"Very good point," the Doctor said with a small, sharp nod. "So what we need to do is go back."

Which meant, Jay and Donna seemed to realize at the same time, dealing with Theseus again. Both women exchanged unhappy looks and sighed heavily; the Doctor ignored them and went to work at the console, aware of Lycus as he shadowed him.

"But what we need to do first," said the Doctor, glancing at the boy, "is take Lycus home. I think his parents will be missing him."

Lycus beamed, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and Donna smiled broadly at the boy. But the Doctor only frowned at him in suspicion as he took in the look that flickered briefly across Lycus's features. Jay didn't miss the Doctor's suspicion and even cast her own at Lycus as Donna happily rested her hand on the boy's head.

If the Doctor was wary of him…then perhaps she needed to be, too.

* * *

Jay watched as Donna ushered Lycus out, her expression full of delight. Donna was fiercely fond of the little boy and Jay couldn't blame her despite her newfound suspicion; Lycus's excitement was rather infectious, and he offered them a final smile as the door closed behind he and Donna, who'd be escorting him home to ensure nothing happened. Jay didn't realize how close the Doctor was until he said right beside her, "There's something we're missing."

"What do you mean?" Jay asked, glancing at him with a frown. "I didn't think we were missing anything outside of what type of alien we're dealing with." Or the suspicion that had appeared regarding Lycus.

"There's plenty of questions we haven't asked yet." The Doctor ran a hand through his messy hair, thoughtful, and Jay had to fight the urge to fix his tie when she realized it had been knocked askew. "How did they select specific people? _Why_ choose those specific people? What 'creature' has the intelligence to direct an entire species like this – two species, even – and then chooses to _eat_ them?" He pressed his lips into a tight line. "Something isn't right here. There's something we're missing, and I don't like it. Did you hear anything near the Gates?"

Jay thought back to it. "No," she said confidently after a few moments of quiet contemplation. "Nothing. Is that…is that bad?" She bit the inside of her cheek and wrapped her arms around herself after shaking out her wrists.

The Doctor hummed a little in response. "No. I didn't hear anything when I picked up Donna, and they were actually through the Gates so there's probably nothing to hear or worry about." He glanced at the still firmly shut TARDIS doors, debating what kind of time he would have. Deciding it would be enough, he asked, "Are you alright?"

Jay snapped her attention to him, sharp blue eyes nervous. She knew that he didn't miss the guarded look that appeared on her face, accompanied by intense guilt and suspicion that crossed through her. She knew what this conversation was about and where it would undoubtedly go. Just as quickly, he gave her a warning glare; _don't bother lying,_ that look said. So, Jay didn't bother. Instead, she looked to the TARDIS doors, taking comfort in the TARDIS's reassuring hum. Fingering the necklace she wore, she said quietly, "I don't know. Maybe. I just…after the Master and the _Valiant_ , and then Pompeii, and what happened with…with Jenny…"

She faltered, taking a shaking breath. "I love traveling with you, Doctor, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a home that I didn't know could exist – a true family. But…so many people have _died_. And I know it's not my fault, nor is it yours at all. I know that things just happen sometimes. But what if the next time we leave the TARDIS, it's Donna that 's hurt? Or you?" She glanced at him, searching his gaze furiously when she saw the near amusement that so briefly appeared. "That man who shot Jenny…Doctor, he was aiming for you. And I know you won't die like we do. That you'd regenerate. But _still_. You said so yourself. You'd become a completely different man. It wouldn't be the same. I promised I'd stay with you regardless, but…"

Jay fell quiet, finished with her small speech. The Doctor watched her for a moment before rocking back on his heels, pushing his hands into his pockets. "We could stay in the TARDIS," he said evenly, catching Jay off guard. "But you can't experience the universe from the inside of the TARDIS, Jay."

She sighed heavily. "I didn't say that it was what I wanted to do," murmured Jay. "I'm just saying that I'm worried. Our unlucky streak is particularly nasty."

"So we'll run a little faster," was his simple solution that Jay couldn't help but roll her eyes at, even as a smile tugged at her lips. The Doctor grinned at the look she gave him before growing serious. "You can't dwell on the past. Bad things happened, and they'll happen in the future, too. It's best to just keep going."

Even that was a simple solution that didn't seem to feasible, Jay couldn't help but think, but she knew that he fully comprehended what she found herself struggling with. She'd been there on one or two occasions when such things had become too much for even a Time Lord. Those days, they didn't go on an adventure. They didn't leave the TARDIS on those days, so Jay thought that he was being a little hypocritical, but she didn't say anything about it. He was trying to help, and she didn't want him to think her ungrateful.

She said nothing in response, but took his hand and gave it a tight squeeze in gratitude. He squeezed back and then drew away, beaming when Donna stepped back inside. "Donna! Ready to go?"

"Yes," Donna said slowly, looking troubled. She furrowed her brow. "But I think there's something we need to do here first." The Doctor cocked his head questioningly, and Donna's frown deepened uncertainly "It's Lycus. He…he disappeared into thin air!"

" _Did_ he?" The Doctor didn't look surprised, even smug that something had happened with the boy. Jay frowned at him in disapproval, not understanding, and the Doctor seemed to realize that he'd not shared all of his thoughts with them. "The way he reacted when Jay heard the screaming…he was far too interested for a child."

Donna looked annoyed by this statement. "He's just a boy," she protested. "All little boys are curious when someone talks about something like that–"

"Donna," the Doctor gently interrupted. "What child of that age can speak so eloquently and knows more than a grown prince about the Creature we're trying to understand? No one but the king has seen the Creature. So how was he able to describe it in so much detail?"

Jay blinked. She'd not thought of that, but…even as the Doctor said it…she found herself agreeing. As much as she had initially liked Lycus, there had been too much interest in so many things. The TARDIS, the Creature, her… "We let him aboard the TARDIS," she said, touching the console fondly. The TARDIS groaned softly beneath her touch, and she smiled at it before returning her attention onto the Time Lord, her mind flicking back to the Master and what he had done to her. "Could that result in anything bad?"

"Unlikely," reassured the Doctor. He gave a confident shake of his head. "Even if they were to comprehend the technology of the Time Lords, it's unlikely they would be able to replicate it. I think it'll be fine, Jay."

Jay looked very much relieved by this, and Donna huffed. "Forget the box," she said rather crossly, earning matching frowns of disapproval from both the Doctor and Jay, who were both incredibly fond of the TARDIS. "What about Lycus? I'm not saying you're wrong," she added hastily when the Doctor sighed heavily and opened his mouth to repeat what he'd already said. "But why would something disguise itself as a child and do…" She made a wild gesture to indicate the matters at hand.

The Doctor rocked back, nodding thoughtfully. "That's the question. Why would something disguise itself as a child and do anything like this?" He seemed to think it over before deciding that simply sitting there and doing just that would get them nowhere. "Come on!" He whipped around, already reaching for the console. "We'll go investigate the Creature. Maybe it's in just as much danger as the rest of them."

"You think something could be forcing it to do all of this?" asked Jay.

"It's possible." He flipped a switch and pointed to the bag of flour. "First, we need to make a pit stop and release those into the stars. That's where they belong."

Donna immediately looked at Jay, who laughed at the look on her face. "I'll get them," she promised, and went to fetch the bag of flour.

* * *

Jay still wasn't too thrilled to be out of the TARDIS, if she was being perfectly honest, but she did feel much better with both the Doctor and Donna in her sight. She trailed along behind the pair as they argued over what to do about Lycus. She felt her lips quirk upright. It was rather amusing, she couldn't help but think. They were both of the same opinion: a calm discussion and then deal with whatever happens. Yet they were arguing anyways.

The arches above their head were intimidating, and the world seemed empty at the moment. Empty of people – empty of living things, actually. Jay didn't like it, but she said nothing about it. The Doctor had already noticed if she'd noticed. Donna would notice soon enough. There was no need to announce it to the rest of the world that they'd noticed.

Jay fingered the necklace she now wore, relieved to not have to worry about what sounds might pop up. She regretted not putting it on earlier in the day; it would have saved her a lot of energy, for she found herself exhausted, but at least she'd gotten some information from it.

"Alright, sweetheart?" Donna suddenly called over her shoulder. Blearily, Jay blinked, and then gave her a grin in response.

"Just fine," she said.

Donna nodded, and the Doctor, after shooting her a swift look to check on her, turned away to return to his argument with Donna. Jay stifled a laugh when Donna rolled her eyes, as if no longer wanting to argue but not knowing how to convince him to stop. She found herself eternally grateful for the fact that Donna had joined their travels. While she wasn't Martha…Martha hadn't been Donna.

It didn't take them long to reach where the Doctor and Donna had left the group with Theseus, just outside of the massive cavern. Something sent a chill down Jay's spine as she looked at the darkness, and she thought she heard something within. There was no sign of the people that should have been there. Not even footprints left in the dust on the ground. The Doctor looked around curiously, his sonic screwdriver hard at work, and Jay put her hands on her hips as she looked around herself.

"Nothing," the Doctor announced after a few moments. "They must have gone inside. I'm getting signals from inside."

"I don't know if I want to go inside," admitted Donna, frowning at the entrance, and Jay inclined her head a fraction in agreement despite not wanting to admit aloud. For one, she wasn't too thrilled to be entering a dark space when they didn't know what was waiting for them down there, and two…she wasn't excited one bit for Donna and the Doctor to be down there either.

As if knowing precisely what she was thinking, the Doctor flashed her a quick, crooked smile and then said nearly gently, "We'll go in and take a quick look around. We won't go too far in."

"You say that," sighed Jay, "but I get the feeling that if we take one step inside, something's going to send us running." There was no doubt in her mind. There was never a trip in which they _didn't_ end up running. She chewed on her lip, her gaze uncertain as she stared at the massive cavern. She recalled what the Doctor had said – that they couldn't experience the universe from the inside of the TARDIS – and sucked in a deep breath. "Alright, if that's where they went, then we have to go, too, if only to save their lives. None of those people led into there deserve to be killed." She glanced at the Doctor, who was beaming proudly at her. "Do you have any flashlights?"

The Doctor patted his pockets, debating, and for a moment, Jay was worried he was going to tell them that they were going in with only a sonic screwdriver for light. But then he withdrew a flashlight for her and a second one for Donna. Donna looked just as grateful as Jay felt.

"Ready?" the Doctor said, checking with them. When both had turned on the lights and nodded, they descended into the cavern.

The darkness was terrifying, Jay thought as it faded behind them, and the ground was, too. It was a very steep incline, and the further down they went, the worse it was until quite suddenly, Donna yelped as her feet slid out from beneath her and she went careening down the rest of it. Jay grabbed the Doctor's shoulder when she nearly followed suit, worried. She could see Donna's flashlight flailing a little bit when she hit the bottom. "Donna!" she called anxiously.

After a moment, Donna called back faintly, "I'm okay!"

The Doctor shooed Jay onwards, and she carefully slid the rest of the way down on her feet, not wanting to go down like Donna had. The Doctor landed neatly beside them, and Donna glared at him for it as she brushed the dust from her pants. "Come on," the Doctor said brightly, hurrying forward. "Let's explore some."

"We're not exploring though," complained Jay as she looked back at the way they'd come, suddenly anxious. What were they going to do to get back out? Well, she supposed, as she and Donna trailed behind their pilot, they'd find something. The Creature had to have a way out, too, after all.

Although, if they were as unlucky as Jay hoped they _wouldn't_ be, they could find themselves confronted with something big enough to be able to use the entrance they'd used. She really hoped that didn't happen.

The ground was even as they walked in silence, their flashlights shining around. When they'd been walking for some time and still hadn't found anything, Jay bit her lip. "Hold on," she said suddenly, glancing at the barely illuminated woman beside her and then the Doctor, who paused to look back. He'd pulled out a light for himself, too, and flashed it her way when she spoke. "I want to see if I can hear anything."

"Don't," the Doctor said firmly. "We'll just keep looking around."

"That wasn't a request," Jay answered quietly, already kneeling. She carefully set her flashlight down and was just beginning to reach up to pull the chain over her head when she noticed something that her light had flashed upon. She paused, turning her head to investigate, and then snatched up her light. "Actually…look." She stepped up to a wall of the cavern, which, as it turned out, was closer than they'd thought. The wall was a reddish color, matching the rocky terrain they'd crossed through to get from the Gates to the cavern. Sandstone, Jay thought, remembering what the Doctor had told her about it a few months prior when they'd been on a planet that used it in every aspect of their life. And carved into that sandstone was writing.

Well, she assumed it to be writing. They were old. Ancient glyphs that the TARDIS was having issues translating for her. When she looked over her shoulder at the Doctor, he looked rather stunned. "What is it?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. He looked too worried by this for Donna, who'd immediately opened her mouth, to tease him. She closed her mouth and instead peered over Jay's shoulder at the large glyphs. One alone was as tall as them. "They're old though." He let out a loud breath, his eyes wide as he studied one line of the glyph. " _Very_ old if the TARDIS can't translate them. That doesn't happen very often."

Jay reached out and brushed her fingers over them, fascinated. A spark appeared in her eyes. "There are other languages the TARDIS can't translate?"

"They're rare, and in my experience, don't mean anything good, but yes." The Doctor's gaze darkened, and he suddenly looked distant. "The last time I saw one was when Rose still traveled with me. It…wasn't pleasant." The set of his jaw was enough to tell Jay not to ask about what had happened. It must have been rather bad if he looked like that. Normally, when he talked about his adventures with Rose, he wore a look of fond sorrow.

"Do you think they're from the Creature?" asked Donna, frowning unhappily at the thought. She wanted nothing to do with something that made the Doctor look that worried. Jay silently agreed with her.

"Could be." The Doctor turned away, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know. I don't think so. Had it been as powerful as whatever wrote those words there, I think we'd have seen something much worse by now. Come on, let's keep going. They can't have gotten _that_ much further – I landed the TARDIS ten minutes after they left..." He trailed off as a distant scream pierced the air, listening intently. "C'mon!" he called, darting forward when another followed.

Jay reluctantly walked backwards when she heard the Doctor and Donna leaving, still studying the glyphs. She furrowed her brow at them. There was something about them…she couldn't necessarily read them, but phrase rested on the tip of her tongue, as if they were trying to tell them something. But she gave up after a few moments, shrugging, and whipped around to follow the Doctor and Donna properly.

Maybe she'd figure it out later.

She took off after them, startled by how quickly they'd gotten away from her. But she caught up when they stumbled to a halt, their lights flashing at something that towered above them. Jay's light joined them, and she stared at the Creature above her.

It was massive. Massive, and scaly, and altogether not something any of them were too ecstatic to find towering above them. While they couldn't see much with their small flashlights, it was enough to display the fact that a single coil of its serpentine body was at least a dozen or so feet above their head and that it had more than one head. Two, to be exact, with blood shining at the base of its two necks. Its red eyes glowed in the dark.

"Oh," said Jay faintly as a shiver ran down her spine. "The myth always said it was the minotaur, not a hydra."

Thank the stars above that she'd been so interested in Greek mythology for a time.

Another scream filled the air as the second head snapped its massive dual fangs at the group that was cowering in a corner. Jay snapped her flashlight towards them and found a shocked looking Theseus standing before the group, a sword sparking with electrical energy held protectively in front of them. He was heaving for air, and blood blotted his body. Jay was willing to bet that he'd been the one to sever the first head. When the one after them lunged again, he swung his sword.

"Don't!" Jay shouted, lurching forward. She wasn't sure if she was right. Maybe it hadn't sprouted a second head. But she wasn't about to risk it until she knew for sure. She managed to duck past the head that suddenly turned and snapped at her, and then flung herself forward, slamming into Theseus so hard he dropped his sword. He glared down at her and she glared right back at him. "You cut off one and another showed up, didn't it? Well _stop cutting off the heads then_!"

"You can't just run off like that!" Donna cried in her ear, and Jay glanced at her in surprise, unprepared. She'd not noticed that Donna had followed. "What are we supposed to do now?"

" _Move_!" Theseus bellowed, shoving them aside when the hydra snapped at them again. Jay swore at the powerful pungent smell that came from its mouth. _Venom_. She scowled. Just her luck she'd find herself confronted with another venomous creature –

"Over here!" the Doctor shouted, the sound of the sonic screwdriver louder than normal as he held it above his head, trying to catch the hydra's attention. It worked. Both heads whipped around to hiss at him. It turned entirely, dragging itself on short front arms, its weight making the ground shake beneath them. The Doctor's face was determined as he called, not taking his eyes off the hydra, "Get them out of that corner!"

Donna and Jay nodded, their eyes bright with determination. "Move," Jay ordered, and Donna took over a hysterically sobbing woman, who was so scared she could barely move, but clutched at Donna's arm. "Theseus," Jay added sharply when he stared at the women in surprise. "You, too. Help us get them moving." She didn't like him, but…they could sure use his help. And he clearly cared for his people with the force he'd been using to protect them.

Theseus studied her closely for a moment and then nodded, snatching up his sword. "Right," he muttered, and then turned to do just that. He ushered people along the side of the wall, and Jay swore under her breath when the hydra's tail lashed out and slammed into it, raining heavy rocks down on them. Donna hissed when one cut her forehead, but ignored it. Instead, she focused on helping the woman along.

"Faster!" she snapped when a head struck out at the Doctor, a high-pitched screaming hiss leaving the other. He dove out of the way, scrambling to his feet and bolting to the side when the second head lunged, too. Jay felt a flicker of terror creep into her veins. The last thing they wanted or needed was the hydra catching him with its potent venom.

"Miss!" an elderly man suddenly said in his wispy voice, catching her attention. Jay turned her head immediately, semi-distracted and impatient. He pointed, and Jay shone her flashlight towards the direction he'd pointed in. She blinked at the space in the wall. A crevice – with a fresh breeze brushing hair from people's faces.

"Donna, I'm going to check it out, keep an eye on things here," Jay shouted over the commotion.

"I'll come, too," Theseus told her, and Jay debated. She didn't want him to. Didn't trust him like she trusted the Doctor and Donna. But she didn't think it'd be smart to go in unprepared, so she curtly nodded.

Donna, however, didn't look very excited. "Jay, don't," she said almost pleadingly, but Jay was already pushing her way through the crevice, grunting with the effort. She shone her flashlight around as she edged through sideways, smirking to herself when Theseus muttered a curse under his breath upon almost getting stuck.

It seemed like forever, but Jay was sure it was only a few minutes before she'd shoved herself free and into the fresh open air. "Ha!" she cried, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She clapped her hands together with a beaming smile when she realized that they stood upon a cliff. It was nearly six feet to the edge, with a wide path that would lead them straight down to a beach – a beach that looked like it would lead them right to where they needed to go to get back to the ships that had brought everyone to this island.

"Alright, let's get back and get those people out!" Jay said with a broad smile that she flashed at Theseus. He wore an odd look on his face as he watched her, but she pushed herself to ignore it. Now wasn't the time to think about things like that.

Jay pushed herself back into the crevice, moving as quickly as she could until she reached the other side. "It's safe!" she declared. She stepped aside. "Go!"

People pushed towards it. Jay mentally counted how many there were as they began to squeeze through. Three people were missing, but she had no doubt that she knew they were gone. Her heart ached. They'd not moved fast enough to save all of them.

 _But we're saving others,_ she told herself, pushing past it. She could mourn those losses later.

When Donna had taken the last of them through, anxiously looking back over her shoulder and it was just she and Theseus left, Jay opened her mouth to shout for the Doctor – only to yelp softly when she was shoved into the crevice. Theseus wore a grim expression as he pressed in behind her in time for something to slam sharply into the wall above them. Jay gasped as the world shook violently around them and made her slam her numb fingers against the wall to keep from falling.

Rocks fell form above and Jay flung her arms in front of her face to protect it, the flashlight tumbling from her hands. When she lowered them, she was met by a sight that had her lurching forward, her fingers slamming into the boulders that had fallen. "Doctor!" she shouted, furious with the hydra's terrible timing.

For the boulders had sealed the entrance, leaving the Doctor trapped with the hydra.

* * *

 _Finally an update! I hope you enjoyed! :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers_ _(lautaro94, bored411, Catlorde, Falling Right Side-Up, and savethemadscientist!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I really appreciate it. :)_


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